Lack of affordable houses in West Berkshire is a "scandal" says Newbury candidate

The Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Newbury, Judith Bunting, said: “So few affordable homes have been built here in West Berkshire in recent years, while we have homes standing empty and brownfield sites available to build on.
“You have to wonder whether the Tory council is actually trying to drive young people out of the district.”
Councillor Alan Macro (Lib Dem, Theale) also went on the offensive and called the council’s record appalling,. He pointed to Government figures, released in May, outlining a low number of affordable houses built within the district since 2010.
He said: “According to Government figures, only 220 affordable homes were built in the district between 2010 and 2012. That puts the council 48th out of 55 unitary councils in England.
“They are only providing just over one third of the average number of homes provided by those unitary councils. In Berkshire, only Windsor and Maidenhead were worse.
“That record is appalling and it makes the 37 affordable homes standing empty at the Parkway development even more of a scandal.”
Two weeks ago, the Newbury Weekly News reported how West Berkshire Council had been forced to take the unprecedented step of stopping its Parkway housing partner Standard Life Investments from selling any more private housing until it appointed an operator for the 37 affordable houses standing empty at the Parkway Living Complex in Newbury.
However, the Conservative MP for Newbury, Richard Benyon, hit back at the allegations, saying: “I don’t know why the Liberal Democrats would want to blame a local council that is trying to do more for affordable housing.
“You cannot call for the building of more houses on a national level and then oppose every proposal on a local level, which the Lib Dems have done in a disgraceful and shameful way. I am amazed that they have the nerve to say this and they should be working together with the council.
“The new developments, such as at the Newbury Racecourse, will make a huge difference in the number of affordable houses and the council are being very robust in their handling with SLI.
“I am pleased that the number of people on the waiting list for affordable
housing has dropped, but the reality is that there are a great deal more people in need of houses, and not just affordable houses.”