OPPOSITION councillors have called for Government support to build more affordable homes for struggling families in Tendring.

The call comes as Tendring Council’s cabinet backed a new five-year housing strategy for the district.

The plan includes building 200 new council homes by 2025 and also shows the council continues to back plans for affordable homes as part of the proposed Garden Community on the border with Colchester.

It also sets out that the council will bring forward larger schemes identified in the draft Local Plan, including for Hartley Gardens in Clacton, and for new empty homes strategy to bring long-term empty homes back into use, as well as a plan o ensure new homes in Jaywick are prioritised for residents and key workers.

The strategy also calls for a new incentive scheme to free up family-sized accommodation and an annual investment programme to improve council estates while contributing to reducing carbon emissions, as well as a plan for the future housing needs of the district's ageing population.

Opposition Labour councillor Ivan Henderson said the Government needs to do more to support Tendring residents hit by reforms to welfare, including the benefits cap, bedroom tax, freezing housing allowance rates, Universal Credit and the end of 100 per cent council tax benefit.

“We are facing some big mountains to climb with regard to poverty and deprivation,” he said.

“Tendring has seen deprivation increasing over the last few years.

“The report says unemployed household make up 5.3 per cent of the population, compared to just 3.6 per cent across the East, but we can also see the large number of empty and vacant homes and really low levels of building of affordable housing.

“A lot of these issues have been impacted by the Government’s welfare reforms - they’ve made things a lot worse.

“Rents in the private sector have increased and become unaffordable for people - we needs a lot of support form Government.

“They have made problems and families are suffering within the Tendring district.”

Paul Honeywood, cabinet member for housing, said the council expected to see a number of affordable homes built this year as well as 27 homes gifted as part of planning agreements, a further 87 housing association homes and ten homes being built by the authority in Jaywick.

He added: “The document sets out four key strategic housing priorities that include delivering homes to meet the needs of local people, reducing and preventing homelessness and rough sleeping, making the best use of and improving existing housing and supporting people in their homes and communities.

“This strategy is not just about one area of housing - it covers housing provision of all types across the whole district and sets out some ambitious but achievable goals.

“Crucially, the strategy is about delivering local homes to meet the needs of local people and I know that is something that we as a cabinet strongly support.”

A final decision on whether to adopt the strategy will be made by the full council.