WYCHAVON Lib Dems are questioning the government’s decision to increase housing targets for the area when there are half-finished developments across the district.

Councillors say several sites have been left unfinished, developers have gone bankrupt and infrastructure remains elusive.

The Labour government released its proposals to reform the National Planning Policy Framework and the targets given to councils on how many houses they must build on Tuesday (July 30).

EMPTY: Wychavon Lib Dems say the housing situation is a messEMPTY: Wychavon Lib Dems say the housing situation is a mess (Image: Dan Boatright-Greene)

The proposal includes increasing the number of houses built in the Wychavon district to 959 a year.

This is on top of the 28,400 already planned for up to 2030 in the current development plan (SWDP), the majority of which have already been built.

But Liberal Democrat councillors say several housing developments have stalled.

Concerns have been raised in the Pershore area after houses have been left half built, some completed homes have been unsold and several sites are incomplete.

Dan Boatright-Greene, group leader for Wychavon Liberal Democrats and a county councillor for Pershore, said: “The whole housing situation is a mess.

“We have thousands of residents struggling to find affordable rents and mortgages.

“Social housing not keeping pace with need. Yet hundreds of houses have been built. The sites focused on social and affordable housing, however, have stalled and we now have sites with half-finished buildings.

“We are stuck between a rock and a hard place, with housing not being built for local need.

“Week after week I have residents getting in contact because they cannot afford to live here. But any attempt to build homes for residents results in the estate becoming unviable.

TARGETS: Angela Rayner says the government will not ride roughshot over the wishes of local communitiesTARGETS: Angela Rayner says the government will not ride roughshot over the wishes of local communities (Image: PA)

“The Government needs to stop spending time setting targets with no understanding of the local situation and needs to give councils the powers to build their own social homes again. Otherwise this chaos is just going to continue.”

Housing secretary Angela Rayner this week said the Government’s housing targets will not “ride roughshot” over the wishes of local communities.

She said “It’s not riding roughshod over local decisions and what local people want because having mandatory housing targets and plans means that people will be able to decide.

“What we’re saying - and what we said at the general election - is that we will build 1.5 million homes. We said that really clear and we have a mandate to do that. We think the new method for housing targets works better.”