Wigan seeks answers to housing shortfall

Wigan Council is to host an invitation-only summit aimed at increasing the rate of production of new units in the borough, which currently falls far short of its annual target.

The council said its target is to build 1,000 units a year to meet demand but currently only around 400 are being built.

The council has 40 representatives of private developers, housing associations and other property firms to an event on 31 January at Leigh Sports Village to discuss the borough's housing needs with senior councillors and officers.

Cllr David Molyneux, deputy leader of Wigan Council, said: "If we don't take steps now we could face a serious housing shortfall in the future. We're simply not building enough houses, or indeed enough of the right kind of houses, to meet demand now and the likely demand in years to come.

A council spokesman said all those invited were already active in the borough's housing market, including Barratt Homes, Taylor Wimpey, Wainhomes along with Adactus Housing Group and Great Places.

When asked why it was not a public event, the council spokesman added: "The event is invitation-only for practical issues such as the size of room, and because it will be workshop-based looking at the planning system, the issue of affordable housing and the ageing population. It is more of an in-depth technical discussion of the overall market and will not discuss any individual projects or proposals."