AFFORDABLE housing is in critically short supply in rural areas across East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire, a damning report has claimed.
East Staffordshire needs to build 293 rural affordable homes each year. Yet during the year 2010/11, it built just 50.
The figures, released by the Countryside Alliance, show that across Britain councils are failing to meet building requirements for social housing in rural areas.
South Derbyshire fared slightly better than its neighbour, having built 115 of a required 396 homes.
East Staffordshire Borough Council and the Burton-based Trent and Dove Housing Association defended the region’s house-building record.
Ron Dougan, Trent and Dove’s chief executive, said: “Since the transfer of housing stock from East Staffordshire Borough Council in 2001, Trent and Dove has invested heavily improving its housing stock in urban and rural areas of East Staffordshire.
“It has also built 480 new homes in the borough, exceeding its target year on year.” East Staffordshire Borough Council said the figures quoted by the Countryside Alliance were out of date and insisted house-building rates had improved since.
A spokesman said: “The ability of the council to secure the number of affordable homes needed is constrained by the economic situation, the viability of development and the availability of Government grants.”
South Derbyshire District Council also attacked the credibility of the figures.
Bob Ledger, South Derbyshire’s head of housing and environmental services, said: “The figures in the Countryside Alliance report are taken from an assessment by an outside consultant in 2008, which predicted the overall need for affordable homes in South Derbyshire and in other districts.
“The figures involve the number of homes needed to make up for the reduc- tion in affordable homes in past times.”
He added: “In South Derbyshire we are working with home-builders and housing associations to include affordable homes in housing developments.” North West Leicestershire District Council fared better than the national average, by building around half the affordable rural homes it set out to build.
Richard Blunt, leader of North West Leicestershire District Council, said: “Like many other similar-sized local authorities, providing new affordable homes in rural areas is extremely challenging for a number of reasons.
“These include the scarcity of potential sites, high land prices, a lack of funding available and strong objections from communities which do not want new development in their towns and villages.” He added: “Our officers have worked extremely hard in the last 12 months to deliver the results they have.
“We are committed to providing affordable housing in the district and we are continuing to work hard to identify opportunities so we can meet the demand.”
