New council leaders have delivered just 14.5% of their promised social housing target after taking power last year.
It comes as plans put in place by the new administration at Dover District Council to address the issue in its first 12 months have been slammed as “a complete failure”.
But senior councillors insist they are “serious about tackling council housing” with hundreds of homes in the works which will take time to overturn the “low base” inherited from the previous administration.
Opposition Conservative members have now slated the new Labour-led authority’s first year after council papers showed its housing stock has grown by only 29 homes since last March.
The Labour group took control of DDC last May, promising in campaign material to build 200 council houses per year - a pledge branded not deliverable by the Tories.
A Dover District Labour leaflet from the local elections of May 2023 listed their proposal to “build 200 environmentally sound council houses per year” among other policy pledges.
However, papers for a cabinet meeting held on June 3 explain between March 2023 and 2024 “we have added 29 properties to the DDC Housing Stock”.
Cllr Jamie Pout (Lab), deputy leader of DDC, said: “The target hasn’t changed, we’re still going with that ambitious target of 200 council houses per year.”
The Aylesham representative admits that when campaigning, their original plan was to build the homes themselves but upon coming to power, plans had to change.
“The market has meant that developers are much more keen to sell those properties so we’re not going to miss out on that opportunity so we’re willing to take them.
“Whether we build them, whether we accept them from developers to us is immaterial.
“A roof over someone’s head is life-changing.
“The number is lower than 200 and we accept that, we are starting at a lower base though, it takes 12-18 months to get these things going.
“We’re starting from the previous administration's low base and we’ve got to build on that.
“We’re still adamant that we’re going to meet that ambitious target of an average of 200 per year over our administration and we’re still working really hard behind the scenes to make that happen.”
Cllr Pout added the authority has “over 400” in the works, and a DDC spokesman confirmed the cabinet has already approved “specific projects which will deliver 168 affordable properties”.
Last month, it also confirmed it has agreed to purchase 48 new homes at a development on Wingfield Place, Deal.
This is being funded through developer contributions and money from Homes England.
But opposition councillor and shadow cabinet member for housing Cllr Dan Friend (Con) said: “The current pace of council housing progress by the Labour-led DDC is, in my view, far from satisfactory.
“However, their record shows they have managed to build just three in the last 12 months.
“Their target of an average of 200 per year seems increasingly unlikely given their current performance.
“Their assertion that the Conservative administration did not value council housing is unfounded and just doesn't wash.
“Our election pledge was to build 500 council houses, temporary accommodation and shared ownership properties over four years.
“This was an honest, deliverable pledge, and our track record of delivering speaks for itself compared to the current abysmal delivery rates.”
