HOUSE builders are to be challenged to build homes that cost less than £60,000 as part of a major development near Maidstone, the Government has announced.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott says that Leybourne Grange, a former hospital site where around 700 homes are planned, must provide a proportion of homes within the reach of first-time buyers.

His announcement comes after a survey reveals that it is now all but impossible for nurses, teachers, police officers and firefighters to get a foot on the property ladder in Kent.

Mr Prescott said Leybourne Grange would be one of three sites where developers would be challenged to design “high quality homes” costing no more than £60,000 as part of its “Design for Manufacture” competition.

The announcement forms part of the Government’s drive to increase the availability of affordable homes, which will allow people to buy homes on a shared equity basis, cutting mortgage payments.

Mr Prescott said: “We want more people to own their own home, allowing them to enjoy financial security and stability. But to do this we need to increase housing supply and provide more affordable housing.”

Chatham and Aylesford MP Jonathan Shaw said: “This is good news for young couples and key workers in the area who are struggling to get a foot on the housing ladder. This is the first step in the Government’s new policy of extending home ownership”

A survey by the Halifax Building Society this week found West Malling was the second least affordable town in the county for key workers such as nurses, teachers and firefighters.