West Lindsey exceeded its home building target last year

West Lindsey District Council exceeded its home-building target set by the Government last year, figures have revealed.
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However, housing charity Shelter criticised the Government for setting “unachievable housebuilding targets on over-stretched councils” across the country, with almost a third of councils failing to reach theirs.

The council built slightly more homes than it was required to in 2018-19, according to figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

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It was one of fewer than 60 per cent of local authorities in England to achieve its aim, leaving almost 36,000 houses unbuilt nationwide.

The annual Housing Delivery Test shows West Lindsey District Council, which is measured as part of a joint plan alongside Lincoln and North Kesteven, delivered 1,586 homes, from a target of 1,096. It also shows that the council has only once failed to match its requirements since 2016-17.

A spokesman from West Lindsey District Council said: “The latest 2019 measurements covering the three year period from 2016 to 2019 now measures at 121 per 3,653 dwellings delivered across Central Lincolnshire, above the requirement of 3,027 dwellings.

“This is an increase on the previous year of 3,245 dwellings delivered over a requirement of 2,907 frrom 2015 to 2018, both in terms of delivering over and above the requirement, as well as the overall number of dwellings that were delivered over a three year period.

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“It demonstrates that deliverable sites continue to come forward across Central Lincolnshire.”

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Slapping unachievable housebuilding targets on over-stretched councils and then penalising them when they can’t fulfil them is not the answer to ending the housing emergency.”

“Councils have extremely limited funding and powers to build the homes they’re being asked for. What’s even more ridiculous is that the government’s targets don’t include a requirement to build any social housing, which are the genuinely affordable homes this country is crying out for.”