FEARS are growing that government plans to reduce social housing could have a “catastrophic” effect on town centres and people needing homes in West Oxfordshire.

The Government wants to force housing associations to sell off ex-council homes they have bought in the past few years under Right to Buy proposals.

But this has sparked concern that thousands of West Oxfordshire homes could eventually be taken into private hands, leaving a shortfall of affordable homes.

West Oxfordshire district councillor Andy Graham called the situation “catastrophic”.

He said: “Once these houses are sold, they will never be replaced. We have got to build more houses. What’s happening in West Oxfordshire is that there is a lot of building going on but they are for three to four-bed houses, costing £350,000 and £450,000.

“How on earth will that address the housing issue?”

The Housing and Planning Bill – debated in the House of Commons last week – includes plans to force councils to sell low rent homes in high value areas, as the Conservative party rolls out its Right to Buy scheme.

West Oxfordshire District Council estimates there are about 5,800 housing association homes in the area, which could be affected by the Right to Buy scheme.

Mr Graham said: “People will just by them as second homes. It will affect the infrastructure. Town centres will no longer be sustained. Local shops will struggle when there is no-one there in the week to shop.”

But cabinet member for housing and communities at WODC councillor Robert Courts said out of the 1,721 people on the waiting list for homes, 400 already had a place to live and were just looking for a new house.

Despite WODC selling off its council homes several years ago to housing associations in the area, the council still deals with tenants looking for social housing.

Mr Courts said: “Given a choice, 86 per cent of people want to own rather than rent and this Government wants hard-working people to enjoy the security of home ownership. The Right to Buy has already helped two million families realise their dream of owning a home.

“Because the funds from selling properties will be recycled toward replacement affordable properties, the proposals will not only increase home ownership, but help those who need a new affordable property and boost overall housing supply.”

One man from Witney said he had been struggling to buy a property in his hometown for months. The 24-year-old, who asked not to be named, lives with his 25-year-old wife in Cogges.

“We have no hope of buying around here with the cheapest two-bed house being £230,000,” he said. “We wouldn’t qualify for council housing but there are no other affordable houses for us. All of the new properties are very expensive, and most do not qualify under the government’s ‘help-to-buy’ schemes so the schemes do not work for us.”