Letter: Lack of affordable housing is eroding New Forest communities

SIR – I would like to support the comments made by Cllr Hilary Brand about the lack of affordable housing in the New Forest (A&T, 21st October).

Having lived and worked in the New Forest for most of my life, it is with sadness that I have witnessed the erosion of longstanding Forest communities over that time.

With properties in the New Forest commanding a premium of 86% over surrounding areas this amounts to 11 times the average salary.

At the same time, the waiting list for council or housing association homes continues to grow whilst most of the council homes are now in private hands with housing association homes soon to follow.

Young families, many of whose links to the Forest go back generations, have at present no prospects of being able to live locally. This is inevitably changing the social and age range of the Forest communities to their detriment.

There desperately needs to be a reservoir of social and affordable housing in the Forest, which at present seems to be solely provided by almshouses such as the ones at Emery Down, which will remain available to local people in perpetuity.

The New Forest is a unique environment whose future is being jeopardised by the creation of communities based solely on their ability to pay a huge premium.

Levelling up is not just about the north/south divide.

David Balfour,
Lyndhurst