COUNCILS in rural parts of Gloucestershire are failing to meet targets on affordable housing, according to new figures.

The Countryside Alliance said the Forest of Dean District Council has a 51 per cent affordable housing need while Stroud District Council is still left will a 24 per cent need, leaving many people unable to afford a home.

Matthew Stephens, 27, from Drybrook, said: "I can't afford to get a place because they are all too expensive round here. I work hard and do around 40 hours a week but to live in a nice place in the country it costs too much.

"I am still living with my parents."

The Countryside Alliance did a Freedom of Information request asking all local authorities how many affordable homes were identified as needed in the latest Housing Needs Survey, and how many affordable homes they planned for 2010/2011.

Need

In the last survey in the Forest in 2009, figures show a need for 295 homes a year. Between 2010/2011 only 152 were built leaving a 51 per cent housing need. In Stroud, in 2008 the Countryside Alliance found a need for 298 houses. In 2010/2011 only 71 were built, leaving a 24 per cent need.

Alice Barnard, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said that if the rural need for affordable housing was not addressed many of those communities would die.

But a Forest of Dean District Council spokeswoman disagreed with their figures and said last year the council exceeded its target of building 45 affordable homes.

She said: "We are confident there are a number of affordable properties in the pipeline to deliver in excess of that target again this year.

"The council, housing associations and developers have worked very hard over the past 18 months and between 2008 and 2011 we secured £20 million of government funding to deliver over 300 affordable properties."

Stroud District Council could not comment in the time given.