HIGH-END flats will do nothing to help Basildon’s housing shortage, a critic of the scheme has warned.

With monthly rents starting at £850, the Trafford House flats are likely only to be affordable only to high-paid commuters looking to move into the area.

However, Basildon Council’s Tory leader Phil Turner believes the new flats will help, by creating gaps further down in the housing market.

A 2013 survey concluded 300 new affordable homes needed to be built every year in the borough to meet demand.

Geoff Williams, Lib Dem councillor for Nethermayne, said: “It is going to do very little to alleviate the housing shortage in Basildon for Basildon people.

“It strikes me as quite a high rent, although it is a central location. It’s not going to do much for local families.”

New guidelines issued in September by Basildon Council suggest 36 per cent of homes on major developments should be affordable.

Previously, council policy had stipulated a more modest target of between 15 and 30 per cent.

Mr Turner said he would waiting and see how popular the new flats turned out to be, given their price. He added: “It has to be a good move to bring a derelict office building back into use, but the rents do seem a little steep.

“I’m mindful there are people out there wanting affordable homes, but it might create some space in the market where housing is freed up for those who can’t afford Trafford House prices.

“We will watch with eagerness to see what the take-up is, but we can’t prevent market forces.

“Let’s hope it frees up homes somewhere along the way.”

It is common practice for councils, when agreeing planning permission, to include a condition, dictating the amount of affordable housing to be included , or agreeing a payment to fund affordable housing elsewhere.

In the case of Redrow Homes’ controversial 725-home Dry Street development, just 36 affordable homes will be built on-site, but the company will pay the council money to allow a further 36 to be built elsewhere.

However, Mr Williams is sceptical of the benefits of such an agreement.

He said: “We never get to know where these other locations are going to be.

“Developers and the council will say there will be contributions for affordable housing elsewhere, but we never seem to find out where that is.”