THE lack of affordable housing in the district may mean more developments are granted permission on Green Belt land, according to a council report.

Epping Forest District Council's newly published Housing Strategy states there is a “residual requirement” for 6,600 new homes in the district by 2026 with a suggestion that 70 per cent of them should be affordable housing.

The report states: “In view of the lack of affordable housing in the district, it may be necessary for the council to consider, in the future and on an exceptional basis, the granting of planning applications for developments on land currently in the Metropolitan Green Belt, for which planning permission would not normally be granted, if they provide high levels of affordable housing.”

According to the report 1,784 homes have already been built between April 2001 and April 2009, but affordable housing has been scarce with only 34 affordable homes built last year.

The report also notes that 7,100 households in the district are “unsuitably housed”.

One strategy noted in the document to help increase affordable housing is an increase in social housing at current council-owned sites in Chequers Rd, Loughton, Millfield, High Ongar, Thatchers Close, Loughton, Kirby Close, Loughton, Langley Meadow, Loughton, and Harveyfields, Waltham Abbey, by April 2010.

The population of the district is expected to increase by 13,100 people by 2021.