A COUNCIL under fire over its stock of affordable housing plans to beef up a policy that requires some developments to include cheaper homes.

Lib Dem-controlled Durham City Council has been criticised by the city's Labour MP, Roberta Blackman-Woods, for a lack of housing that people on modest incomes can afford.

The city centre is home to several developments where flats have been sold for six-figure sums.

A planning inspector recently rejected a developer's appeal against the refusal of planning permission for housing at Kepier Court, Gilesgate, because it contained no affordable element.

The city council has said it is an "exemplar" in providing affordable homes, and pointed to the cheaper housing provided at sites built with the Durham Villages Regeneration Company, which it part-owns, and in schemes with housing associations.

Now it plans to supplement its formal planning policies, and "clarify and strengthen'' the existing Local Plan policy.

This states that, on sites of 25 or more dwellings, or one hectare or more in size, and where a local need exists, the council will negotiate with developers for 30 per cent of homes to be affordable.

Durham County Council's planning committee is being consulted, and is expected to back the planned policy when it meets on Tuesday.

The county's head of environment and planning, Rod Lugg, said in a report: "The Local Plan does not contain a mechanism to discharge the council's obligations through the planning system.

"In the absence of this measure, the council has sought to work with housing partners (housing associations, the Durham Villages Regeneration Company) to address this deficiency. This strategy is expected to continue.

"The requirements of this Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) will not, realistically, meet all the needs for affordable housing within the district.

"Separate specialist provision of affordable housing will still occur on sites by registered social landlords. However, this SPD will help to ensure an element of affordable housing is provided.

"It will also encourage a move towards more balanced, sustainable communities by providing a planned integration of affordable housing on new development sites.''