A WINCHESTER councillor is calling for more housing in and around the city.

In a plea to the council Ian Tait says that the authority must do more to build new homes in Winchester.

He spoke after the government announced they aim to support a major increase in building affordable homes.

The communities secretary, Sajid Javid has said house building needs to rise to 225,000 to 275,000 units a year compared with 190,000 built in 2016 and as little as 95,000 following the financial crisis.

The government has warned that the density of development in urban areas will have to increase - and this is what Cllr Tait wants to see in Winchester.

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Winchester City Council aim to build 300 homes by 2020, and have built 200 homes since they began their housebuilding programme three years ago.

But development of huge schemes has proven controversial, with protests over the Barton Farm development.

CALA Homes got planning permission in 2012 for 2,000 homes for the development northern edge of Winchester with 800 being some kind of social housing, available to people on the city council waiting list.

Cllr Tait was a huge supporter of the scheme when it was in the pipeline and has called for more homes being built in Winchester.

Speaking at a Winchester City Council cabinet meeting Cllr Tait said: "We need to have very considerably consideration that the housing numbers are too low.

"For me I hope that this is something we can focus on. I would like members to have a serious debate if we can have more numbers.

"To make it clear I am looking at Winchester urban area, we need houses close to Winchester."

Later this year, the council will open two prestigious developments: Victoria Court, a city centre development of 27 flats, and Chesil Lodge, providing 52 flats of ‘extra care’ housing for older people with assessed care needs.

Proposals for a large development of over 70 homes in The Valley in Stanmore are well-advanced, along with a number of other smaller developments.

Leader of the City Council and Portfolio Holder for Housing Services, Cllr Caroline Horrill said: “I am really proud of the progress the council is making on building much-needed affordable housing. We have demonstrated we are able to deliver and have clear plans for more, which puts us in a strong position to bid for more funding. I will be meeting Government officials to make our case.

“With over 2,000 households on the council’s waiting list, we simply can’t build affordable homes quickly enough. With prices so high in this area, many younger residents have little prospect of owning their home.

“I welcome the announcements from the Government regarding house-building, which support the council’s aspiration to do all it can to help those residents in the district struggling to afford housing.”

She also said she will take on-board Cllr Tait's comments and said Winchester has a "reputation" for building new homes in the district.