NEW homes are urgently needed across Bromsgrove for 2,000 families waiting for properties.

The waiting-list figures from Bromsgrove District Housing Trust (BDHT) has prompted its chief executive to urge the county's top decision-makers to work together with BDHT to find solutions to the growing house-price crisis.

The average property price in the town has now reached £200,000 and with the average salary at £20,589, there are now more families waiting for an affordable home than this time last year.

The trust's plea for land to build on follows the release of statistics from Shelter. The annual ROOF Affordability Index, which assesses affordability by comparing mortgage costs against household incomes, reveals that it is now 65 per cent harder to buy a first home than it was in 1994.

Moves are underway by Bromsgrove District Council and BDHT to address the problem with a number of applications to build housing.

BDHT chief executive Mike Brown said: "We've approvals for 56 homes but although this is a major step in the right direction, it is only part of a solution. The issue of house prices is affecting people now.

"For too long, certain people have had the view that homes are desperately needed, but not in their back yard. We're not exactly proposing building in back yards to solve the problem, but it is no longer acceptable to just say 'no' to development. Land for local homes for local people must be made available now."

By Sarah Mawhinney