A Labour councillor has criticised Monmouthshire County Council’s ‘failure’ to build enough affordable homes.

Councillor Dimitri Batrouni said the 63 affordable dwellings completed this year, were ‘significantly’ below the target of 96 dwelling completions per year. Just seventeen were built last year.

The leader of the Labour Group in MCC stressed the importance of providing the services to young people during a cabinet meeting last week.

“I think we’ve failed on housing, so far, which destroys any argument of trying to keep young people in this county,” said Councillor Batrouni.

“That is the critical piece in all of this. We need affordable housing.”

A council report also showed that there had been ‘limited progress’ with finding new sites, with only one site earmarked and with planning permission in two years.

Kellie Beirne, chief officer for innovation and enterprise, admitted there were issues with the delivery of sites due to ‘a lot of unpredictable factors’.

Deputy council leader Phil Hobson, said that a re-evaluation of the Local Development Plan is needed as house prices have climbed to seven times the average salary in some parts of Monmouthshire.

In some areas, prices have rocketed to 22 times the average pay.

“If we’re going to retain a balanced population in Monmouthshire then we have to find a way of getting these affordable homes,” said Councillor Hobson.

The shortage in affordable housing has now prompted an early review of the LPD?