The Government has been told a target to build 1,700 new homes a year in a Suffolk district is "neither achievable nor desirable," a councillor has revealed.
East Suffolk councillor David Beavan, cabinet member for housing, told a council meeting on Wednesday there was only sufficient land supply for 900 homes in the district.
He was responding to a question from councillor Debbie McCallum, who represents Kesgrave ward, asking what the council's plans were to provide social and council housing in east Suffolk.
In response, he said the requirement to provide 25% of developments as affordable housing would put "barely a dent" in the council's 5,000-strong waiting list.
He added: "Meanwhile, the government has set us a target of nearly 1,700 a year which we have told them is neither achievable nor desirable.
"We are between a rock and a hard place – the devil and the deep blue sea."
"We desperately need homes that people can afford to live in but not at the expense of losing the natural beauty of East Suffolk.
"We are working around the edges."
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The Kesgrave councillor's question focused on the Government's aspiration to build 300,000 homes annually across the UK over the next five years to meet its 1.5 million new homes target to address the housing shortage.
Mr Beavan said at the moment the council was promoting rural exception sites - where land is provided at below market value for affordable housing - with 100% social rent in villages such as Westleton, as well as brownfield sites and empty homes.
But he added there were three second homes in Southwold which had not had anyone stay for years, but the council could not charge the owners extra tax because the homes were "substantially furnished".
READ MORE: Number of new homes in Suffolk revealed in government data
He said if the proportion of affordable homes in developments could be increased to 50%, the housing crisis could be solved with the use of less land.
Another problem was that the cost of farmland was high, especially when wanted for new homes, but if this could be decreased it would help to make homes more affordable.
READ MORE: Suffolk news
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