THOUSANDS of people could be left without a home if Southend Council does not close its housing gap, it is claimed.

At the current rate of building Southend is set to fall short of its ten year target of 11,140 news homes - by almost 8,000.

A motion to increase the amount of social housing has been put forward by Labour councillors to be heard at meeting on Thursday.

The motion claims only a thousand homes have been built in the first three years of the ten year plan.

If it continues at the same rate the council is set to miss the target by 7,740 by the year 2026.

The motion calls on the council to “explore all avenues” to build social housing including on former NHS land at Fossetts Farm.

The site, previously earmarked for a diagnostic centre, is set to be turned into hundreds of homes instead.

Labour councillor Ian Gilbert, who proposed the motion with Councillor Helen McDonald, said: “We’ve got this piece of land at Fossetts Farm which is in theory marked for development so it is important that we try to use that for social housing.

“The biggest difficulty in wanting to build social housing is the amount of land. We are a built-up borough without too many development sites, so when one if available we need to be sure it is used for the benefit of local people.”

The housing, homelessness and rough sleeping strategy states 6,875 of the properties built between 2016 and 2026 need to be affordable to meet growing demand but currently the council’s delivery of all homes, including affordable homes, is just 340.

Resident Colin Nickless, who is part of a campaign group calling themselves Fossetts for the People, said: “Council houses pay for themselves within ten to 15 years.”

Mr Nickless added the council has a “terrible record” of building affordable homes but the Fossetts Farm site presents an “ideal opportunity” for the council that could provide up to 400 new homes.

A spokesman for Southend Council said: “We can confirm a motion about social housing for rent has been received and will be responded to by the cabinet member responsible.”