Southwold residents attended a pre-planning application meeting to view proposals for affordable new homes to be built in the town.
The meeting, held on Saturday, February 27, at Southwold Town Hall, offered attendees the opportunity to view Waveney District Council Housing Services' proposed plans for re-development of Duncan's Yard, St. Edmund's Road, with 20 homes, for local people, being built on the site.
Southwold Cllr Sue Allen said: 'Both Waveney and Southwold council want to encourage young people to live and stay in the town because at the present time most are unable to afford to buy or rent properties in the area.'
Cllr Allen explained the site was purchased on 'favourable terms' from Southwold builders Duncan & Son, who occupied the site from 2002 to August 2014, and it was a 'philanthropic offer' by the local builders to give something back to the local community.
Submission of the application will be made this month; subject to approval, work would commence in August or September 2016 and to be completed by December 2017.
Waveney District Council and Orwell Housing Association will work together to develop the site but Orwell's involvement would cease once construction is complete.
John Sallis, 73, of St. Edmunds Road Southwold, said: 'We need a lot more housing that local people can afford.
'Close friends of mine have kids, who are young adults, they have no chance of being able to afford to live in Southwold and hopefully this proposed development will help young people.'
The proposed scheme, under Gateway to HomeChoice, will give priority to potential owners with a local connection under the Section 106 agreement and this development would be funded by monies from recent council property sales in Southwold.
However, Kevin Ellis, 28, Wrentham said: 'A few years ago, when new affordable homes were built at Blyth Road, they said those with local links would receive priority.
'I have lived in Southwold all my life, but local connections soon dropped from first priority to third and my family and I were unable to get a property.
'As long as Gateway to Homechoice is running schemes like this, local people will not have a chance to get anything.'
Information regarding the proposals is available on Southwold Town Council website, Reydon Parish Council website and Waveney Council website.
Feedback must be provided by March 7 and can be submitted by completing an online survey at www.waveney.gov.uk/stedmundsroad.
Do you have a Southwold story? Email simon.ward@archant.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here