THE developers of North Site in Malvern say they want to give first-time buyers a start on the property ladder.

Persimmon Homes has put affordable housing at the heart of its strategy for developing the former Ministry of Defence base.

Almost 170 of the 390 homes the firm wants to build there will be 'affordable' and aimed at people the company says are currently priced out of the local market.

Most will be one, two and three-bedroom flats and houses, rather than larger, more commercially attractive homes.

Graduate Pamela Yorke, 24, is in a position faced by many young people in Malvern and welcomed the approach.

She said she hoped to buy a house in Malvern after finishing university but could not afford anything in the town.

"Most young people, especially those who have just finished a degree, simply can't afford to buy a house in Malvern," she said. "If young people can't afford to live here, they will move elsewhere and Malvern will lose its younger generation.

"Even two people on an average graduate's salary couldn't afford a house here."

Persimmon says Malvern has a higher than average number of larger homes beyond the reach of first-time buyers, and it wants to correct the balance.

Its proposal for 43 per cent of affordable homes on the estate is almost half as many again as proposed by North Site's original owner, Defence Estates.

Persimmon will work with the Malvern-based Festival Hous-ing Association to allocate homes, a mixture of rental properties and shared ownership.

It will also offer a number of lower-cost homes - £80,000 to £90,000 one-bedroom flats.

The firm wants to attach legal agreements to these lower-cost homes, which mean they can only be sold on at 15 per cent less than market value, ensuring they remain affordable in the future.

Of the remaining open market homes, at least 50 per cent will be size limited two and three-bedroom houses aimed at the lower end of the market.

Amanda Pain, 24, a QinetiQ project manager, said finding accommodation in Malvern was very hard. She moved to the area a year ago and was unable to find an affordable property to rent, so instead lodges.

She said: "It's expensive, you can't find anywhere, a lot of people don't like sharing...it's an absolute nightmare. More affordable housing to rent would be great news for me."

Malvern Hills District Council says the district has more detached houses than average and only half the usual number of terraced houses and flats. Four out of five houses completed in the last five years have had three or more bedrooms.