A LIBDEM district councillor has welcomed proposals from his party to combat the shortage of affordable and social housing. Cllr David Morson, member for Elsenham and Henham, said: Fewer social rented homes are being built – the number nationally has hal

A LIBDEM district councillor has welcomed proposals from his party to combat the shortage of affordable and social housing.

Cllr David Morson, member for Elsenham and Henham, said: "Fewer social rented homes are being built - the number nationally has halved since Labour came to power.

"Meanwhile houses to buy are getting ever less affordable. House prices here in Uttlesford grew by 2.8 per cent in 2006 while earnings only went up by 2.4 per cent.

"An average house now costs nearly nine times average earnings in our area. There's no way most young people, even many young couples, can afford that."

Proposals by the LibDems include building 100,000 new affordable homes each year, devolving the planning process and cutting VAT on housing renovations and repairs.