CALLS have been made for more affordable homes to be built in Malvern after new figures showed the town’s average house price is the highest in Worcestershire.
Statistics released by the National Housing Federation reveal Malvern Hills homes cost on average £240,830 in 2013 while the second highest, Bromsgrove, was some £4,000 less.
They also showed the district had the fourth highest prices in the West Midlands, with only Stratford-on-Avon, Warwick and Solihull ranking above.
Figures were well above the West Midlands average of £177,880 despite the district’s average annual earnings in 2013 of £23,629 being third lowest in Worcestershire and below the county average of £24,211.
And although house prices fell below the national average of £251,000, Coun Melanie Baker, portfolio holder for planning at Malvern Hills District Council, said she believed more affordable homes should be the way forward.
“Malvern was recently listed the second best place to live in the Midlands,” she said. “Yet it still remains one of the most expensive places to buy a home.
“To ensure families can afford to remain in the area we have to build more affordable homes for them to live in, that is why the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) is so critical to all our futures.”
Three new six-week consultations on planning documents supporting the SWDP opened on Monday (February 16) and guidance on where and how affordable housing is built is set to under the spotlight.
The other consultations include community infrastructure levy and developer contributions. The consultations conclude on March 30.
