WINCHESTER must fight to protect its council housing under controversial plans to extend the right to buy, a meeting heard.

Opposition councillors warned against the Government's "daylight robbery" of affordable homes as Conservative leaders urged the chamber to unite in lobbying for the district.

A spirited debate at Winchester City Council on Wednesday heard warnings from all parties over the perceived dangers of allowing housing association tenants to buy their properties.

The Government is partly funding the measure by forcing local authorities to sell their most expensive homes.

But high house prices in Winchester mean around 1,200 of its 5,000 council houses would be sold off under currently assumed thresholds.

Liberal Democrat councillors Jamie Scott and Jane Rutter spoke of "injustice" and "daylight robbery" while Cllr Amber Thacker, Conservative member for Cheriton and Bishop's Sutton, said villages could "die" if affordable homes are not available for young families.

Lib Dem group leader Cllr Lucille Thompson said: "We are seeing an unprecedented attack on social housing, not really seen since the 1980s when Margaret Thatcher introduced the right to buy for council houses without allowing local councils to replenish their stock by keeping all the proceeds.

"This latest round of legislation threatens our ability both to build new homes for the 2,000-plus on our waiting list, and to continue our repairs programme."

Winchester's Conservative MP Steve Brine voted for the bill at second reading last week, along with Meon Valley MP George Hollingbery, but raised concerns about exemptions in rural areas.

Tory council leader Stephen Godfrey told the meeting: "The Housing and Planning Bill has many fine characteristics, one of which is to reduce the amount of money that tenants pay for living in social housing.

"Now really – do you think that's a bad thing? Tell your tenants that."

He added: "It is perfectly right that housing association tenants should have the same right to purchase their rented accommodation as council house tenants.

"The principles of that bill are right and supportable but the detail still needs to be ironed out to protect the interests of Winchester and its residents."

Winchester owns nearly a quarter of Hampshire's council houses outside Southampton and Portsmouth, but just four per cent of its housing association properties.

Selling council homes to fund the new right to buy would therefore force Winchester tenants to subsidise other areas, Lib Dems argued.

The anger of many opposition councillors is stoked by the fact that the council bought its housing stock back from the Government in 2010. The move was seen as a way of reinvesting rental income in local homes rather than funding projects elsewhere in Britain.

Cllr Janet Berry, Labour group leader, said: "Would the council be happy to accept the selling off of the Guildhall, its car parks or any other of its valued assets in order to fund a project of the Chancellor?

"It is possibly heralding the start of the dismantling of the system which has provided safe, secure homes for millions of people and families at rents they can afford for over 100 years in this country."

In a bid to ease political tensions, Cllr Caroline Horrill, Conservative portfolio holder for housing, warned against "speculation" over the policy and urged councillors to work together in adapting to the changes.

She said the bill in its current form would mean "a change in the dynamics in some of our communities."

However, she added: "The rules are changing, that is true. That does not mean to say that we have to roll over and that everything will be completely different.

"It is a different playing field from the rules we were given before, and we will work comprehensively, proactively and hopefully with all members in the chamber to ensure that we have a housing policy that we're all extremely proud of."

Council overwhelmingly agreed to raise further concerns with the government.

Cllr Thompson, who moved the amendment, said: "This council needs to stand up for our tenants and stand up for those on our waiting list and prevent our housing stock being sold to the benefit of other parts of the country."