Affordable housing under spotlight again

Affordable housing in West Dorset was in the spotlight again when Magna Housing Association hosted a visit by Colin Molton, the Homes and Communities Agency's Executive Director for the South and South West.

Mr Molton was shown three developments Magna is involved in at Dorchester, Portland and Bridport. He saw the 26 flats for rent and 20 shared ownership apartments at Brewery Square, Dorchester.

He also visited Osprey Quay, Portland, the Olympic sailing village where 14 houses will be handed over to Magna for rent and five for shared ownership after the Games are over, and Dibdin View, Bridport, where 47 affordable homes, including three self build houses, were officially opened earlier this year.

Mr Molton's visit came just after statistics suggested that West Dorset has the least affordable properties in Britain.

According to a survey by the Halifax, the average house price in the area is now £256,332 and the average household earnings are £31,992, giving the area the highest ratio of house price to earnings in the country.

Low wages and second-homes are blamed for pricing people out of the market.

Magna's chief executive Graham Colls, who accompanied Mr Molton on his visit to Brewery Square, said: "The Halifax's recent survey shows why we fought so hard and so long to get this scheme at Dorchester off the ground.

"It will provide good affordable homes to many people who would otherwise be victims of the current housing market. It is another important Magna investment in Dorchester and West Dorset and we are very pleased to be making it."

The visit comes just after the HCA announced an allocation of £9m to the Source Development Partnership, of which Magna is a member, to deliver 400 homes across the South of England over the next four years.

The investment was agreed as part of the HCA's Affordable Homes Programme, which is to invest £1.8bn in the delivery of new homes across England. Other housing providers will also build new homes in Dorset as part of the programme.

Mr Molton said: "We know affordable homes are in high demand in Dorset and are working with partners like Magna to address this. Our investment in these projects is supporting the development of much needed affordable housing in areas where we know there is a shortage of smaller homes and a growing number of people who need them.

"This also helps make small communities sustainable by allowing people to remain in areas where they have family or professional ties.

"It is great to see these important and exciting developments, and excellent news for the local communities in which they are based."