Shropshire Star

Figures show not enough homes are being built to meet demand

New figures have revealed not enough new homes are being built to cater for the future needs of Powys.

Published

Research has shown that in the county, around 17,600 new homes will be needed by 2026, which meant 880 would need to be built annually by then.

However, the figures also revealed just 21 per cent of the target annual figure had been built over the last year.

Earlier this year, Powys County Council’s new local development plan had identified land for a range of uses, including housing, commercial and industrial development. Newtown has been highlighted as a key area for housing in the plan.

The Welsh Government has insisted it is investing in housing in the region.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We are investing a record £1.7 billion in the housing sector to tackle a range of issues, including building homes and improving existing housing stock. We have abolished Right to Buy, ensuring that when we build new social housing we keep it for those who need it.

“We have recently quadrupled the Wales Property Development fund and launched the Stalled Sites Fund. Together they will provide nearly £430m over the next 17 years to support small and medium sized businesses to develop new homes in areas and sites which are not attractive to the bigger developers.

“We have a commitment to build 20,000 affordable homes this Assembly term and we have also announced an independent review of affordable housing supply to examine whether more can be done to increase supply and maximise resources.”