NORTH Essex is facing a generation of hidden homelessness, a leading councillor has warned.

Leader of Braintree District Councillor, Graham Butland, fears the number of people unable to afford their own home, causing them to live with family or friends for long periods, will increase rapidly over coming years.

With house prices now 8.6 times above the average earning in the Braintree District, Mr Butland has reiterated the needs for a long-term approach to housing and the potential offered by garden communities.

He said: “The Prime Minister recently spoke about young people with their noses pressed to the estate agent windows, and that’s the reality across our district.

“Braintree district is estimated to grow by 30,000 people in the next twenty years, and to put it simply, we need to grasp the housing nettle or risk a generation of young people living with their parents, unable to ever think about buying their own property.

“Doing nothing, saying no is just not a solution, but of course at the same time we need to ensure we protect the characteristics and uphold what makes our part of Essex such a fantastic place to live.

“That is why we believe that the Garden Community concept of a planned self-contained development which grows over time and has the homes, infrastructure and business space, so people can live and work in close proximity has so much potential.”

A joint project between Braintree, Colchester, Tendring and Essex County Council, the North Essex Garden Communities programme is a new approach to housing, with the Councils looking to develop the communities themselves, rather than being led by housing developers.

Mr Butland added: “In tackling our housing shortage we must also understand and address some of the frustrations of developer led housing – The lack of infrastructure, the lack of design, the lack of affordable housing.

"Through leading on the creation of these new schemes ourselves, we have the ability to do this, bringing in infrastructure first, controlling the look and quality of the homes and also the type of homes and the speed of build.”

For more information on the North Essex Garden Community programme visit www.ne-gc.co.uk