Council act on housing shortage

A massive shortage of affordable homes in Oswestry has been revealed with hundreds of people attending roadshows across the borough, interested in low cost homes.

The scale of the problem unveiled this week has made Oswestry borough planning chiefs determined to deal with the lack of housing. They said today it could lead to a dramatic increase in the supply of affordable homes.

The register is being signed by those who say they cannot afford to buy their own home. Hundreds have taken away forms and already 65 have signed up.

The council is looking at a range of planning measures that officers hope will lead to more affordable houses being built both in the town and the country.

Officers are midway through a tour of the borough holding open days in village halls and community rooms where people can sign up to the register, saying they would be interested in affordable housing.

David Parker, the council's forward planning senior manager, said there had been a huge response to the register with people, young and old looking to sign up.

"We are not surprised by the amount of people coming forward, but the sheer scale had made us more determined to tackle the problem," he said.

He said the problem was not only the cost of buying a house but the cost of renting.

"We have heard from families who, even though they have their own families, are still living at a parent's home or married couples who have to live apart because they can not afford their own home," he said.