ASPIRATIONS to build 4,000 council-owned homes in the next five years have been met with scepticism.

Cabinet member for housing Eamonn O'Brien believes the council has the capacity to build all the homes on brownfield sites.

Plans for the first up to 300 homes could come forward by the end of the year.

He said: “The council has an aspiration to build 4,000 new social and affordable homes over the next five to six years to fill the yawning gap in the current housing market in Bury.

“The aim is to build the new homes on brownfield sites and we will work with Homes England to deliver these. Building new homes of this type will help attract new investment and create new employment opportunities in the area.

"The rate of delivering the new homes will be determined by the ability to secure brownfield land for house building, including in town centre regeneration schemes.”

Cllr O'Brien said that this would be funding by borrowing against the council's current stock.

He said the homes would contribute towards the housing need of 9,500 homes in the next 20 years set out in the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework.

Cllr Nick Jones criticised the council's ambiguous "aspiration" at a scrutiny meeting last week.

He said: "The administration do not seem to know their numbers. They are pledging 4,000 houses but lack both delivery mechanisms and the funding to build them.

"They seem to pick figures from thin air, houses cost money and this council does not have spare money."