Affordable Housing Scheme Needed To Keep Locals In Duncannon - Murphy

Young people in Duncannon are being priced out of the area due to outsiders coming in to buy second homes.

That's according to a local councillor who says social and affordable housing schemes need to be introduced in the area.

The village is popular with tourists and many fall in love with the place and decide to set up holiday homes in the region.

Independent councillor Marty Murphy says more needs to be done to prioritise housing for life long locals:

"Tourism is massive here and it's an asset to the area but it also has its disadvantages as well.

"Housing is an issue here because our young people get priced out very easily with people coming in with second homes and all.

"There's really a massive need for a social housing scheme and an affordable housing scheme more than anything in the area."

Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for the seaside village with visitors flooding in from all over the country.

Councillor Murphy says some of these people then want to stay in the area but there isn't enough space right now:

"You know it's very hard to stop them because people have a right to private property.

"I think we definitely we need an affordable scheme because Duncannon has the sewerage, all the facilities.

"We have a fantastic secondary school up in Ramsgrange so everything is here in the area. It just needs to be acted on really."

That report was funded by the Local Democracry Reporting Scheme.