AFFORDABLE homes to be built in Weeke this spring will be out of reach for many working families, a meeting heard.

Work on the controversial Westman Road scheme is set to start in April after contracts were approved.

Civic chiefs will cut rents on the 12 homes, to be built on one of the suburb’s green spaces, after bosses received a cheaper-than-expected deal from construction firm FE Chase.

It came amid debate over how the new homes, dubbed affordable under council rules, might exclude low-income workers.

Labour councillor Janet Berry told the cabinet housing committee: “The lowest rent here is actually higher than ... social rent. It really needs to be looked at that the council is charging rents that everyone can afford to live at, not just certain people. It has to be for everyone.”

New units range from £147.11 to £225 per week, with a three-bed house costing £170.61.

This is cheaper than many new affordable units in the city – rented at 80 per cent of market prices – but significantly more expensive than traditional council houses.

Before giving planning permission to build on the Weeke playground in September, the council received dozens of objections and a petition of more than 200 residents bemoaning the loss of green space.

After the meeting, local ward councillor Anne Weir promised a “big consultation across the Weeke community” about how to replace the facilities by improving Taplings Road Community Centre, Dean Park or St Matthew’s Field.

The city council is considering forming a money-making housing company to generate profits for its own affordable homes and could bring rents down.

Conservative councillor David McLean warned that the council can only spend what it earns, while Lib Dem Jamie Scott suggested putting homes on the open market to subsidise lower rents elsewhere.