Pricey homes force families out

Young families are being forced to move out of a Shropshire town recently voted one of Britain's top places to live because of a lack of affordable housing, it was claimed today.

Scores of prospective home owners have left Much Wenlock because they couldn't get on the property ladder in the last five years.

The town also has a waiting list of more than 80 people or families looking for affordable housing, according to a new housing survey.

A search is now to be launched to try to find new sites for affordable homes to be built to meet the demand in the town.

Much Wenlock Town Council officials today said they would be working alongside Bridgnorth District Council to try to identify suitable places. Councillors fear that younger residents are being priced out and forced to move to either Bridgnorth or Telford to get on the property ladder.

It comes less than a week after the town was voted one of Britain's top 20 most sought after places to live in a survey carried out by the Times newspaper.

Town clerk Anne Downes said today: "We have agreed that we should work with Bridgnorth District Council to identify sites for construction of affordable housing.

"Much Wenlock's town and parish plans both highlighted the need for it and the district council's recent housing survey has also confirmed that.

"It showed that more than 60 households have left Much Wenlock over the last five years and 32 of these were because of the lack of affordable housing. House prices are beyond the reach of local young families. they are having to move to Telford or Bridgnorth, where the houses are less expensive.

"We currently have 81 households on the waiting list that are eligible for affordable housing and about another 25 that might be. This survey has shown there is quite a need for new affordable housing and we will be helping to identify new sites for it.

"The district council has carried out an audit and only has one suitable site which is on the corner of Barrow Street and we need more.

"Much Wenlock is a popular place for older people to move to, as shown by the Times survey last week, but we do need more affordable housing for younger families."

By Steve Todd