A PROGRAMME to speed up the building of new homes has been given the thumbs up.

Assessments show that the pace of house development is not keeping up with what will be needed in the next five years, a report put before councillors revealed.

Discussing the report, the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council management committee also called on housing associations to play a part in tackling the housing crisis.

A paper prepared by strategic director Steven Hill recommended that the committee approve plans to set up an ‘accelerating home building programme’.

The report states: “In addition to accelerating housing delivery to support land supply and the community benefits that housing derives the programme also includes development of affordable housing types and the tenure mix with an aim of reducing the housing affordability gap and providing homes for specific groups (young, local, working age, vulnerable and elderly).”

Housing briefholder Cllr Gill Taylor, said: “We have a problem in that we do not deliver that many houses. We are not bad in comparison to other areas but we could easily deliver more.

“There are an awful lot of developments with planning permission which are not being built. The new development at Pemberley is brilliant but we need more affordable homes.”

Cllr Jeff Cant, leader of the council, said :“We need to ensure we draw in housing associations and demand to know what they are doing to help fulfil the housing needs of our borough. I am not convinced they are doing that.”

Cllr Kevin Brookes, briefholder for corporate affairs, he was aware that, when he was housing briefholder last year, there were 787 people on the housing register who do not live in Weymouth and Portland. The committee voted unanimously in favour of establishing the programme.