Lack of affordable housing 'harming Shropshire economy'

Steps are now being considered to force housing developers to provide more lower cost homes in the county rather than large detached houses.

The lack of affordable homes will affect Shropshire's economic growth, as people will move to live and work elsewhere, according to Shropshire Council's place overview committee.

The committee discussed a report which outlined ways to address the issue at its latest meeting in Shirehall yesterday.

Shropshire Council buying available land and building homes to sell was discussed, and it was said that plans are moving on to do so.

Adrian Cooper, planning environment and sustainability manager, spoke at the meeting.

He said: "We're under some pressure to deliver housing needs as our contribution to a wider national housing agenda.

"But it is our responsibility to ensure the housing delivered meets our needs.

"We're hearing that employers are struggling to attract staff as they can't find affordable housing options."

Should the council build?

Councillor Julian Dean, for Porthill, Shrewsbury, asked the officers why the council is not building and selling homes.

He said: "We've just bought the shopping centres, why aren't we buying land and building homes ourselves?"

Gemma Davies, head of economic growth, replied: "There is an appetite for the council to get involved with house building, it's absolutely moving on and there will be decisions that need to be made by the cabinet and council in the near future about that.

In a report to the committee, it says that the council will provide 48 units on a plot on London Road for self-build and custom build homes, and may also seek a proportion of self-build plots on development sites of 10 dwellings or more.

Councillor Harry Taylor asked what can be done to address empty houses in the county.

Councillor Roger Evans added: "I've got a house in my ward that's been empty for in excess of 18 years now."

Mr Cooper added: "We have a very large number of houses, thousands or even 10,000, which have planning permission but are yet to be built and that is an issue for us because we can't force somebody to build something."

Tim Shrosbree, community led housing enabler, told the committee what the council has been doing through its Right Home Right Place initiative to increase both knowledge of housing need across the county and the ability to deliver affordable housing in the areas of greatest need.