Housing prices: Winchester one of the most expensive cities in UK

Winchester has been revealed as one of the least affordable places to buy a house in the UK.

A house in Winchester costs an average of £555,696, which is over double the national average of £226,906.

Only Oxford and Chichester are more expensive, making the South East the least affordable area in the UK after London.

Statistics from Lloyd’s Bank show that housing prices across the UK are in their worst state since 2007.

Meanwhile, a Shelter commission found that the delivery of social housing has “plummeted since the start of the decade”.

Winchester City Council policy states that there is a “genuine shortage” of affordable housing in the city, while also acknowledging that the demand for new homes massively outstrips the supply.

The South East has seen an 84% drop in new affordable housing since 2010, with more than 150,000 households on the waiting list.

More than 900 affordable homes were built in 2017-18, compared to 5935 in 2009-2010.

Urging the government to act, Shelter commission member Ed Miliband MP said: “We have never felt so divided as a nation, but building social homes is a priority for people right across our country. This is a moment for political boldness on social housing investment that we have not seen for a generation.”