A NEW housing development in Wokingham for 'first time buyers' will feature just 16 affordable homes, well below government guidelines.

The Linden homes development on Toutley Road, Wokingham will include 147 new dwellings, including apartments, three bed and four bedroom homes. 

UPDATE: 'What a joke' - Residents fury over expensive first-time buyer homes

The cheapest three-bed house in the development will cost £520,000, with a four-bed at £550,000.

It was stated that the launch event will give the opportunity for "first time buyers, second steppers, downsizers and investors alike to view the three and four bed show homes to take in the spacious and beautifully finished product designed by award winning housebuilder Linden Homes.

"Copsewood offers the best of both worlds within a picturesque setting, yet brilliantly connected by road and rail. 

"Nearby Wokingham Rail Station offers regular services into London Waterloo in just over an hour."

The development however will feature just 16 affordable homes, a mix of houses and apartments, amounting to just 10.8 per cent - less than half of the minimum affordable homes that should be included, according to government guidelines. 

A statement from Chiltern Homes regarding the reduction in the amount of homes reads: "Following the feedback we received throughout our liaison with officers, we have carefully reviewed the comments and made a significant change to the layout, which included revising the redline boundary to exclude the eastern parcel of the site, nearest to the local neighbourhood centre. 

"This has consequently resulted in the reduction in the number of units from 93 to 74. Importantly, a separate reserved matters application for the remaining residential dwellings and neighbourhood centre will follow in due course."

Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for planning and enforcement from Wokingham Borough Council said there were plans to make up the lack of affordable homes in future phases.

Cllr Weeks said: “This Linden Homes application is just one part of the whole Matthewsgreen development, which across it will have 35 per cent affordable housing as set out in the outline planning consent. 

"Some parts of the site will exceed that amount, while others will be less. It just happens this first section being built has less, but the completed site will average 35 per cent affordable housing.”