Last updated at 14:29, Monday, 18 June 2012

THE number of affordable homes being built in south and west Cumbria has slumped – with no new starts in Barrow, new figures have revealed.

Just 24 new starts were made across Copeland between April 2011 and March this year, 65 in South Lakeland and none in Barrow. It compares to 19 in Barrow the previous comparable 12 months, 63 in Copeland and 83 in the South Lakes.

The figures were published for the first time on a local level by the Homes and Communities Agency.

They came as a charity warned more people will be forced stay living with their parents into their 30s.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said by 2020, 1.5 million more young people would be unable to buy, flooding the rental market.

Ministers said the figures on new starts were “impressive” – because they increased in the second half of the year.

As well as schemes getting under way, the number of completed affordable homes were also published. There was a fall from 62 to 14 completions in Barrow, 46 to 37 in Copeland and 40 to 37 in the south Lakes in the 12 months between April 2010 to March 2011 and April 2011 and March 2012.

Nationally only 15,598 affordable homes were started, a decrease of 68 per cent on the previous year. But the government insisted the numbers were up in the second half of the year.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: “Far from the predictions of the doom merchants, the figures show work has started on over 15,000 new affordable homes since last September – a massive increase on the previous six month period.”

But Jack Dromey, Labour’s Housing spokesman, has lodged a complaint with the UK Statistics Authority that said Mr Shapps was guilty of persistent “misrepresentation and misuse” of official figures, in turn confusing the public. Mr Shapps denied the allegation. Last month, Barrow Borough Council was given £3.4m to bring 200 empty homes on Barrow Island back into use and the council also hopes to find a private developer to build properties on the North Central Renewal Area site, where 180 houses were demolished.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron said: “There is a chronic need for housing in our area and it is absolutely essential in light of these figures we now step up our efforts to ensure that we are doing everything we can to build more homes for those who need them.”

First published at 13:18, Monday, 18 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk