Houses in south Shropshire are too dear for many who were born there

An increasing number of young people are being forced out of the areas they grew up in by escalating house prices in the south Shropshire area.

Migration from the cities and low incomes in the countryside have raised fears that towns and villages face a future of empty schools and an unsustainable elderly population.

However the district council believes by having a change of heart in its planning policy it can stop residents being priced out of the area.

Home searchers can apply for planning permission in rural villages where it is normally forbidden, as long as they are a 'local' and build an affordable home.

The idea is to keep these homes away from the open market so that the prices remain low enough for residents born in those communities to afford.

I've always loved the area and always imagined living there Sarah Lewis

Sarah Lewis, 34, currently lives near Shrewsbury, 14 miles away from her home village with her husband Mike, 33, and their children John, four, and two-year-old Abbey.

The family is preparing to swap their two bedroomed home for a caravan so they can achieve their dream of living in Longville.

They have opted to take the new planning route despite the fact that their eventual home is smaller than originally planned, worth around �60,000, and with 1% owned by the council.

"We wanted a three bedroomed house and to up the mortgage but we were never going to be where we wanted to be," she said.

I was born and bred here and it is all I know, I want to stop here Duncan Bennett

"Even a small cottage in nearby Rushbury was more than �200,000 and that needed a lot doing to it, anything in the area was so far out of our reach."

Previous applications to build on a piece of land Sarah already owned were constantly rejected because they did not fit the council's planning policy.

Affordable homes policy Allows single or small scale properties to be built outside the six sustainable areas if: Not more than 100 square metres Affordable, up to �66,500 In scale and character of its setting One householder must have a strong local connection Council is given 1% share

She said they were annoyed when a developer did receive permission to build next to her plot, only for highly-priced four and five bedroomed homes to be built.

Sarah said she was delighted when their plans were finally granted outline permission under the new regulations but admitted feeling like a guinea pig.

"If a lot of people had been doing this I would have been more confident," she said.

"I've always loved the area and always imagined living there and it hit me even more since having the kids.

"I want to give them the village life I had, I know we will be happy there."

Duncan Bennett, 25, and his wife Clare, 28, are first-time buyers who traded hopes of a bungalow to build a three bedroomed house in their chosen location of Pennerley.

"We had to compromise but the affordable homes policy was the only way," he said.

Young people are moving away to cheaper areas

"I was born and bred here and it is all I know, I want to stop here."

He blamed a migration of families, who had highly paid jobs, from the south of the country for the affordable home shortage.

"That's really pushing the prices up," he said.

"It's too dear for us but compared to where they are from it is not.

"They don't work here and there isn't a community this is ruining it, hopefully this new policy will help."

South Shropshire District Council's environment and community chief Steve Price said three of the new planning approvals had so far been granted.

"We do need houses for local people and big houses weren't doing that, even modest housing was being bought from people coming from outside and extended.

"So the reserve of smaller houses was diminishing all the time.

"Now we are specifying these houses are for local people and we are able to keep them away from the open market, nobody has done that before."