Fears over allocation of housing
11:26am Sunday 20th July 2008
INSUFFICIENT housing is a problem for those without children, a parish council has been told.
Marie Gundry, of Basingstoke Road, Kingsclere, spoke out at Kingsclere Parish Council's monthly meeting about the difficulties local people have with the borough council housing register when they want a home in their village.
At the meeting she said: "Our children have little or no hope of getting homes in our village. Every time a young mother with a child needs somewhere to live our children get pushed lower down the list.
"It's very frustrating for people who are over 30 and don't have children, like my son, who works hard but doesn't seem to get anywhere on the list."
Councillor Cathy Osselton, Basingstoke and Deane borough councillor for the Kingsclere ward, said at the meeting: "Kingsclere houses are for Kingsclere people and I'm spending all my time on housing."
She explained that the points system used by the borough council to allocate housing takes into account applicants' connection to the village.
According to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's housing department there are currently 190 applicants on the list for social housing in Kingsclere.
The council states that its policy in rural areas always gives priority to applicants who have an established local connection with the village, such as through previous residence, employment or the need to support a close relative.
However, the council will be introducing a new points scheme from April 2009.