HOUSE prices in Test Valley have soared to more than ten times people’s yearly salaries, figures published earlier this month have revealed.

Data published by the National Housing Federation (NHF) shows the average house in Test Valley cost £332,248 in 2016/17 while the mean salary was stuck at £32,531 in 2017.

This means the average home costs more than ten times people’s salaries.

Meanwhile, private monthly rent in 2016/17 averaged £957 a year, which would make up a near 40 per cent of monthly earnings.

The NHF aruged in its report more social housing needs to be built to help more pople get on the property ladder.

However, unlike any other Hampshire boroughs, Test Valley did not have a housing shortfall in the last five years and had the second highest number of affordable homes in the county last year.

Despite this, NHF senior research manager Tristan Carlyon said: “While Test Valley may appear to be meeting projected need, this is not to say that there isn’t a problem.

“The data isn’t rich enough to say the right sorts of homes are being provided – that’s where there might well be an issue, especially as average house prices remain more than ten times average incomes in the area.”

From the figure, prospective buyers in Test Valley need £75,942 to afford an 80 per cent mortgage.

Previously Test Valley Borough Council has admitted there is a “severe shortage” of the right kind of accommodation to meet the social housing need, with The Advertiser reporting some tenants could wait as long as six years before getting a suitable home.

One of Andover’s biggest housing providers, Aster Group, said it is looking to invest millions into the borough over the next four years.

An Aster spokeswoman said: “The housing challenge we face is as much one of choice as it is one of volume.

“Supplying a range of options to suit people with different housing needs is the way to address this - there’s more to the housing market than traditional buying and renting.

“We provide affordable homes for everyone. We support people from all walks of life, from individuals and families on middle and low-incomes, to people in later life and those looking to take their next step onto the housing ladder through shared ownership. We manage over 6,800 homes in the county and 15,400 people live in our homes across Hampshire. “Over the next four years we will invest £19.5m in a further 68 new homes for social rent in Test Valley and another 27 homes will be available under our shared ownership scheme in the Test Valley area.

“We have a strong track record of developing a wide range of new homes for affordable rent and sale like those in East Anton and Picket Twenty. And, across Hampshire, we have plans over the next five years to invest £128m in 487 homes for affordable and social rent and 350 homes for shared ownership.”

Test Valley Borough Council said it aims to deliver 200 affordable homes a year and has delivered 483 such homes in the borough since 2016.

Housing portfolio holder Phil Bundy said: “We recognise that Test Valley is an expensive housing market area and affordable housing is in high demand.

“The council puts a high priority on the delivery of new homes, including affordable homes, both for rent and ownership.

“We will continue to engage a range of stakeholders, including those in the statutory and voluntary sectors, to ensure we are delivering the right services for the most vulnerable people in our communities.”