THE council house waiting list in the Forest of Dean District Council area has leapt by a staggering 25 per cent in the last four years.
In a reply to a question tabled by Alan Preest of Lydney at a full meeting of the council on Thursday, Cllr Terry Hale, Cabinet Member for Community, disclosed that in April 2008 the waiting list stood at 1,935, while today the figure stands at 2,490.
This represents a rise of 555, or around 25 per cent, over the past four years.
Mr Preest also asked for verification of the local connection clause criteria, where people are assessed for council housing according to whether they have a 'local connection'.
In his reply Cllr Hale stated that of the 2,490 households awaiting housing, 2,252 or 90 per cent have a local connection to the Forest, while the remaining 238 households do not.
He also reported on the allocation of affordable housing on the Higher Park development area of Lydney.
"Of the properties let so far 98 per cent have a local connection to the district," he told the meeting.
•In his written reply Cllr Hale also defended Two Rivers Housing in their move to sell off ex-council houses on the open market.
He confirmed that the housing association plans to sell off around 50 'void' properties up until 2015.
Cllr Hale said: "The government does not prevent Housing Associations from selling properties either on the open market or to residents.
"The council recognises that in the current economic climate, coupled with reductions in Home and Communities Agency grant levels, that tough decisions need to be made if new affordable housing is to continue to be provided."