KEETCH CALLS ON HEREFORDSHIRE COUNCIL TO LET AFFORDABLE HOUSING SCHEME GO AHEAD

12.00.00pm GMT Mon 28th Feb 2005

Hereford's Liberal Democrat MP, Paul Keetch has written to Herefordshire Council asking them to think again about a proposed Affordable Housing scheme in Lea, near Ross on Wye.

He has been approached by the owner of the land who wants to build between 15 and 20 affordable homes next to an existing Housing Association estate.

The area was earmarked as the second phase of the development and drainage and sewage services were put into the original estate to accommodate a second phase.

The owner, Mr Pudge has a builder lined up, an agreement with a Housing Association to buy the land, but now Herefordshire Council says there is no need for affordable housing in this part of the county. Meanwhile the Halifax say that the average price of a house in Hereford rose by 28% last year, compared with 13% in the West Midlands and 12% nationally.

"I am astonished," said Mr Keetch.

"Every week my surgery is full of people, many of them young families or elderly people looking to move from large properties, who would snap up the opportunity for a home in this lovely village.

"Mr Pudge has the land and deals with a builder and a Housing Association. He wants to build on land that was always expected to be developed. Why is Tory Controlled Herefordshire Council saying there is no need?

"Within a few hundred yards of the development I know of a young man living at his parents home with his partner and child - they would jump at the chance to move here. With the growth of people owning second homes in Herefordshire and house prices rising locally more than double beyond regional and national levels, we should be encouraging more affordable housing not putting obstacles in its way.

"I hope that the Tory Leader of the Council will think again!"