Residents in a Hampshire town want to see cheaper house prices rather than social housing schemes in the town over the next 20 years.
Around 40 residents attended a meeting at Alresford Recreation Centre lalast night to discuss the 500 homes earmarked for the town in Winchester City Council’s local plan.
The meeting was organised by a town council sub-group on housing, set up to look at the type of housing most needed.
According to the plan, 40 per cent of all new housing will be affordable housing, through shared ownership and cheaper rents.
But several residents said more should be done to ensure young people can afford to buy their own homes.
Kirsty Williams, 39, of Appledown Lane, said: “I cannot understand how you are going to bring people in to Alresford. You have to save for 10 years to get a deposit together.
“What do you do if you are not in the right bracket for affordable housing but you cannot afford to buy your own?”
Her partner Anthony Harwin, 38, said: “How do you control the open market? We need more two-bedroom houses to bring people in but we cannot do it because the open market means prices are too high.”
Steve Opacic, head of strategic planning at Winchester City Council, said the council could not directly affect market prices but that the new developments could help provide more options.
He added: “We are mindful of those people who do not qualify for affordable housing and cannot get enough for a deposit on a house; it’s not an unfamiliar situation for us, but we have to do what we can within the system for those who need affordable homes.”
The city council is plans to build 12,500 more homes in the district by 2031, with Alresford one of several villages and towns expected to provide sites.
The sub-group recruited volunteers to look at affordable housing, market prices and the size of houses to report back at the next meeting on Wednesday, April 10.
Other sub-groups are looking at open spaces, infrastructure and employment generated by the new build.
But no decision on sites for the homes will be made until May.
