MORE and more developers could be forced to contribute to social housing under changes in local planning policy.

Malvern Hills District Council has to provide about 100 new social houses every year to make up those lost to Right to Buy legislation.

But as supplies of council and housing association land become exhausted, MHDC is looking to the planning system.

At present if a developer submits a plan to build 25 houses or more on one plot, the council can force that developer to make up to 30 per cent of those houses social housing.

But because the number of large housing estates being built in rural areas is so low, the council is looking at changing the Local Plan and demanding one social house for every property built in rural areas.

Keith Parry, head of housing at MHDC, said the value of social housing would be much less than housing at normal market values.

"The houses will still give the developer a profit but it will be lower than he would get on the open market," he said.

He admitted that some developers might not wish to build houses under such planning constraints.

"That's the chance we take," he said. "But the builder can then go to the landowner and say I'm being constrained by the planning department, this is the price I can get so this is how much the land is worth."

Malvern builder Marcus Henney, of G and M Building Contractors, said he would not be put off by the idea.

"It would be more work but then it would help a lot of homeless people," he said.

"If you build for the council or housing associations the profits aren't so big but we take pride in our work and so it would still be good for our reputation."

But he admitted that if a social house was built on the same plot of land as a private house, buyers might be put off.