WORCESTER City Council far exceeded its home-building target set by the Government last year, figures reveal.

The council built more homes than it was required to in 2018-19, according to figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

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The annual Housing Delivery Test shows Worcester City Council, which is measured as part of a joint plan alongside Malvern Hills and Wychavon, delivered 2,178 homes, from a target of 1,268.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, chair of the South Worcestershire Development Plan, said: “Worcester City, Malvern Hills and Wychavon councils have worked together on the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP), which sets out the policies for house-building in the area.

“The SWDP enables the three councils to work together to meet the local need for new homes and these latest figures show we are continuing to perform well against the national Housing Delivery Test. 766 affordable homes were delivered across south Worcestershire during 2018/19.

“The current review of the SWDP will help ensure that, in the longer term, housing delivery targets are maintained across the three local authorities.”

It also shows that the council has managed to match its requirements every year since 2016-17. English local authorities built 247,000 homes in 2018-19.

However, housing charity Shelter criticised the Government for setting “unachievable housebuilding targets on over-stretched councils,” across the country, with almost a third of councils failing to reach theirs.