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York is one of the best places in Britain to make a property investment - in spite of gathering economic storm clouds.

The city is listed second only to Cambridge in a top 20 of cities and towns where property buying is a "failsafe" investment.

The list has been drawn up by researchers at national estate agency Knight Frank, who found that whether buying to live in or rent out, York property has a lot going for it.

Liam Bailey, head of research at Knight Frank, gave high ratings to York's attractive, historic city centre, its good links to London - roughly two hours by train - and its relatively small supply of housing stock in the heart of the city.

There was also the relative ease with which commuters can reach other towns and cities, and he cited good schooling as a reason for York being a coveted place to live.

The Knight Frank research ranked the top 20 based on factors including the affordability of housing, wages, unemployment figures and population growth.

York-based developer The Skelwith Group has backed up these findings, with two recent high-profile schemes in the city centre being snapped up by investors within days of hitting the market.

All 19 flats in an ambitious development in Clarence Gardens were sold by the group to investors within four days, despite it not being completed until November.

Another development, of 23 flats in The Rise, has also been successfully sold "off plan" - before they were built - highlighting the strong interest in investing in good quality York property.

Paul Ellis, The Skelwith Group's managing director, said: "The York housing market remains very healthy, despite some dark predictions about the national picture.

"With good transport links and limited housing available in the heart of the city, the market is still very much on an upward curve, and remains a sound investment for all types of property.

"Finding good quality sites is fast becoming the biggest issue as we have investors desperate to buy new build property in all areas of the city."

Cambridge came first in the Knight Frank list, with Oxford, Milton Keynes and Guildford also in the top five.

IT'S the great debate - which could influence the direction that tourism in York will take for years to come.

As many as 160 key players in the tourism sector will converge tomorrow afternoon at the Royal York Hotel for The Big Tourism Debate, as a way of launching the city's new tourism organisation, Visit York The invitation-only event will take the form of the BBC's Question Time programme.

Panellists will include Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York, Bill Woolley, director of city strategy, Dionysis Bekatoros, the taxi driver who was last year's York tourism ambassador, and Ray Jones, brand development director for Superbreak The launch of Visit York brings with it £766,666 of investment for York from Yorkshire Forward, the region's development agency.

That is the city's share of a multi- million pound project to back the development of three new area tourism partnerships in York and North Yorkshire (six for the Yorkshire region as a whole).

Visit York's major task will be to maintain and intensify York's success as the 2007 European Tourism City of the Year, as the UK's Best City in the Telegraph Travel Award and as the 54th most popular destination in the world as assessed by www.tripadvisor.co.uk.

Its importance is underlined by the fact that tourism employs one in ten of the local workforce (9,970 people).

Tourism spending by visitors has risen by more than 50 per cent in the last 12 years, (£332.9 million in 2006) and visitor numbers are at a record 4.2 million.

Visit York aims to increase tourism spend by five per cent yearly in line with Yorkshire Forward's growth targets.

Represented in the audience will be big hitters from the tourism industry, including Yorkshire Forward, the Yorkshire Tourist Board, National Express, Grand Central Railway, York Minster and the National Railway Museum.

They will be alongside representatives from a wide range of hotels, guest houses, attractions, restaurants and shops in the city.

John Yeomans, chairman of Visit York, said: "It is a great opportunity for us to listen to the industry, take on board their views and debate the way forward for tourism in York."

DEMOLITION experts have moved in to York's former British Sugar factory to begin dismantling the massive complex.

The factory in Boroughbridge Road, which opened in 1926, shut down at the end of last year with the loss of just over 100 jobs.

British Sugar blamed the closure, which also affected hundreds of sugar beet growers across North and East Yorkshire, on European Union quotas.

A company spokesman confirmed last night that contractors had moved on to the site in a project which is expected to last about 42 weeks.

Councillors raised concerns earlier this year that the demolition works could create disruption and noise for both local residents and motorists on the congested outer ring road.

Acomb councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing said there would be hundreds, "possibly thousands", of heavy lorry movements, and called for City of York Council to obtain assurances that any inconvenience would be kept to a minimum. She also suggested that material should be taken away by rail instead of by road.

She said council spokeswoman said today that the authority met with representatives of British Sugar in March to discuss demolition arrangements - particularly in relation to transport and environmental/ecological issues.

She said the demolition contractor would use Millfield Lane for the majority of HGV movement.

"Generally, Plantation Drive will provide access for visitors and people using the car park," she said.

She said the demolition contractor would put up fencing to protect areas which were of ecological or landscape importance.

"The council's landscape and countryside officers have been involved in discussions with British Sugar and will visit the site to inspect these areas during demolition.

"Two buildings have been identified as having potential for bat habitation.

"Further surveys of these buildings are being carried out and any demolition activities will be scheduled to take into account the results of the surveys and any potential mitigation measures which may be needed."

When the factory buildings have been cleared away, the site is set for a major re-development scheme to be guided by a new planning framework for north-west York, which also includes the York Central site.

PLANS to build 160 apartments at The Barbican in York have been put on ice.

It is one of 30 schemes throughout Britain, involving about 3,000 homes postponed by Persimmon, York's mega-housebuilder, until the uncertainty in the mortgage market blows over.

Building of the controversial flats, which were strongly opposed by local residents, was to have begun in the car park area of the Barbican within the next three months.

But, as reported yesterday, Persimmon, whose revenues are running 24 per cent lower this year, against a background of sudden further deterioration in the market, has decided to wait until conditions are better.

Jeff Fairburn, Persimmon's northern divisional chief executive, said: "As soon the mortgage market frees up, particularly for first-time buyers, we will commit to the scheme.

"But the Barbican needs a big cash investment up front before you get a return. It is important to remember that there are affordable elements in this scheme to cater for first-time buyers and that will be affected by the economic slowdown."

He said that he did not believe the plans for a hotel on the site would be delayed as a result.

Meanwhile, Mr Fairburn announced that other huge Persimmon projects in York, such as the 700-home Germany Beck scheme in Fulford and the 175-apartment project called The Forum at Heworth Green, would continue.

He said Persimmon had yet to gain detailed planning consent at Germany Beck and ironing out the technical issues could take nine months. Complicating the issue was a separate application by residents to create a green.

"Hopefully, by the time we resolve the planning issues, the market will be back to normal," he said, adding that already half the housing project at The Forum had been sold and the other half, some of which were still being built, were being marketed still, in spite of a slowdown in response.

Persimmon, he said, was also committed to continuing with its £4.4 million 50-home project on the 3.2-acre site of the former Sundora fruit and nut factory in Burnby Lane, Pocklington. "We have started, so we'll finish," he said.

The move to shelve some projects was announced at Persimmon's annual meeting at York Racecourse yesterday shortly after the group became biggest faller on the stock exchange.

Shareholders were told the group's revenues were running 24 per cent lower this year after a deterioration in the market over the past three weeks.

Revenues for the year to date are about £1.37 billion compared with the £1.8 billion seen at this stage of 2007.

A statement issued by Persimmon welcomes the Government making available £50 billion to increase liquidity in the banking system to kick-start the mortgage market, but calls for extra action to help first-time buyers by increasing the threshold for stamp duty and further reducing interest rates.

"Because of the uncertainties of the global economy and the UK lending environment, it is difficult to predict when the market will improve.

"We are, therefore, focusing on management of cash flows within the business to ensure that our balance sheet strength is maintained. Close control of investments in work in progress, land, build costs and overheads are a priority for our experienced management teams. We are operating off five per cent more sites than a year ago. Against the backdrop we have postponed the start of scheduled new sites until the mortgage market improves."

NEW ERA BECKONS AS YORK LETTING SPECIALISTS JOIN FORCES

TWO of the most familiar names on property boards across York have today (10/12/2007) joined forces to create the city's biggest residential letting agency.

Lawton Letting - one of York's longest-standing and most successful agencies - has become part of fellow letting specialists Linley & Simpson, under whose name it will now trade.

Its residential letting and management business - launched 14 years ago by its York born and bred founder Vicky Lawton - will move from its current base in High Petergate to Linley & Simpson's flagship office in Micklegate.

Staff will also transfer to Linley & Simpson to join its York team led by newly-appointed branch manager Kathryn Burton.

The move brings together two like-minded and successful agencies - with a common business ethos.

Both have their roots in Yorkshire, are independently-run, are dedicated letting specialists, and have joined the industry's elite by achieving accreditation to the regulatory body ARLA (the Association of Residential Letting Agents).

Linley & Simpson has an expanding network of six offices, including York, Wetherby, Harrogate and three in Leeds. Between them, they offer blanket coverage across the so-called 'golden triangle' of the most sought-after places in which to live.

Vicky Lawton said: "This geographical coverage, coupled with the database built up across the Linley & Simpson network, was an important factor for me.

"It gives my landlords and property investors - many of whom have been with me since day one - the opportunity of being able to access a greater pool of prospective tenants. Tenants also benefit by having a bigger choice of properties to match their needs."

She added: "Going forwards, it marks the start of an exciting new era for all of us."

Linley & Simpson director, Will Linley, said: "Vicky and her team have been an integral part of York's burgeoning letting market for more than a decade. We are delighted to have secured such a strong and well-respected business to complement that of our own.

"Not only does the deal create York's biggest dedicated letting agency, it also now makes our Micklegate branch the largest in our network - a sign of the buoyancy of the market in this city as demand for quality rental properties continues to grow ."

"It marks another important step in the company's growth and gives us a strong platform for further enhancing the high level of customer service and satisfaction that we strive to achieve.

"The York district boasts superb properties-to-let and, with its excellent location, good schools and growing business stature, remains a magnet for many prospective tenants."

KATHRYN 'MOVES IN' TO HEAD UP YORK RESIDENTIAL LETTING TEAM

RESIDENTIAL letting specialists Linley & Simpson has recruited Kathryn Burton as the new branch manager of its growing York office.

Kathryn, aged 30, joins the branch in Micklegate as demand for rented property threatens to outstrip supply, with the city fast-becoming a magnet for new tenants.

Born in Wilberfoss and educated in Pocklington, Kathryn has spent the past four years in the residential letting market across North Yorkshire, working in York, Easingwold and Harrogate, as well as in Wetherby.

She said: "The letting market in and around York is in the strongest position that I have known. The draw of the city as a place to live and a place to work has resulted in demand for all kinds of properties, from young and old alike.

"Faster rail links, an expanding airport, and a higher profile in the national media have all added to York's appeal and popularity, giving the residential letting market here a real boost.

"More people are following the continental trend and buying a property later in life. With uncertainty over mortgage rates, and the difficulty for first-time buyers in York in getting a foot on the property ladder, people are turning to renting in record numbers."

Director Will Linley said: "Like the company, Kathryn has strong Yorkshire roots. She brings with her a wealth of experience of the residential letting market, as well as an in-depth knowledge of the York district.

"Because of the growing potential that still exists, York is very much at the heart of our future expansion plans. Kathryn and her team will have a key role to play in building on the strong platform that has been created."

Linley & Simpson has a growing network of six offices - York, Harrogate, Wetherby and three in Leeds - and recently marked its 10th anniversary by completing its 12,000th let. The branches cover the whole of Yorkshire's so-called "golden triangle" of sought-after areas in which to live.

Specialising in the middle-to-upper end of the market - offering homes with monthly rents between £400 and £4,000 - Linley & Simpson is now Yorkshire's largest dedicated letting agency. It works closely with major relocation agencies and counts leading soccer players moving to clubs in Yorkshire, and TV stars working on location in the county, among its clients.