YOU might regard this as an alarmist statement, but this newspaper believes that Worcester is heading for a housing crisis of truly shocking proportions. Before dismissing such a notion out-of-hand, consider the facts.

Out of 320 new homes built last year, just 11 came into the category of social housing. Only 3.4 per cent of homes started over the same period were for housing associations, while a survey last month showed that more than 2,581 families in the Faithful City are now seriously affected by the lack of affordable accommodation.

Meanwhile, as luxury apartments are springing up like mushrooms across Diglis, the stock of cheaper properties in St John's is steadily being eroded as landlords prepare for the expected influx of Worcester University students. The final part of this grim equation is a property market under such inflationary pressures that home ownership for many people is now little more than a pipedream.

The council talks of eight-page documents and says it wants to knock on doors asking for people's opinions. We'd prefer to see an all-party coalition that crosses ideological lines to hammer out a solution. The time for slanging matches is over - point-scoring does not put roofs over people's heads.

Wiser use of brownfield sites is one option. Private builders could be compelled to construct a balanced ratio of dwellings and industrial sites might be better utilised. But action must be taken soon - for time is rapidly running out.