COLCHESTER Council is proud of its progress on affordable housing.

Despite funding pressures from central government, councillors trying to improve the situation for families in the borough.

The borough faces some real challenges though, including the fact it is the fourth most deprived Essex authority despite house prices growing at an astronomical annual rate.

It means the number of affordable homes being built, while comparitively high, is nowhere near enough.

And it probably never will be either.

Will garden communities be the golden ticket to reducing house prices and helping the 4,839 families on the housing needs register?

Almost certainly not. To maximise profit, developers will build the homes at such a rate to control market forces.

Unless housebuilders are given shorter time limits to complete developments, house prices will continue to go in one direction...

and that’s up, What is often taken for granted is the extent to which local authorities are at the whim of Government ministers, who make changes to national strategies with local repurcussions, and developers, who hold all the cards.

But Colchester Council should be praised for trying to come up with a plan despite having its hands tied behind its back.

Its five-year strategy makes for fascinating reading and paints a picture of what we are really dealing with as a community.

Go to colchester.gov.uk/ housingstrategy