TWO families have spoken of their struggle to get on the housing ladder as Herefordshire Council announces its plans to meet the five-year housing supply needed for the county.

The government requires local planning authorities to identify a five year supply of housing land but at the moment there is only a 4.5 year supply in the county.

The council is working on a document to be considered by the cabinet in the autumn which will set out a positive approach to encouraging developers to come forward with proposals for suitable housing to address this need.

And Canon Pyon residents Ruth Williams and Hannah Campbell-Gibson understand the need for new homes, especially affordable ones, only too well.

Mrs Campbell-Gibson, 36, lives with her husband, Simon, and children, Louie, eight, and Jacob, five in a privately rented home. Both her children go to the school which has been rated outstanding in a recent Ofsted.

She has put their name down on a waiting list for a market reduced home at a new development being built in the village by Herefordshire Housing.

She said: "I do understand it is a concern when countryside is being built on but I do think we need it to keep the local pub, the local shop, the local school going. We need new blood coming in."

Mrs Campbell-Gibson, who grew up in the village, works part time and her husband is in full time work but she said when you are renting it is difficult to save for a deposit.

She added: "I do understand why people have reservations but they are mainly landowners and people in a good financial position, whereas what about people who are working hard to try and make a living but also want to get on the housing ladder."

Parishes like Canon Pyon are seeing fewer people of working age able to afford to live in their communities - census data shows there has been a 25 percent decrease in the number of families from 2001 to 2011.

Canon Pyon Academy has seen a 32 percent decrease in pupil numbers in the past seven years.

Ms Williams, 25, is currently living with her parents after moving back to the village with her four-year-old daughter, Annabell.

She has also put her name down on the waiting list and would ideally like to part rent, part buy a home and be able to live near her parents so they can help with childcare while she is at work.

She said: "I do want to have a place of my own as soon as I can and a place my daughter can call home."

Ms Williams said some of her friends are also finding it difficult to move from renting to owning their own property.

There are currently 14 households registered with Herefordshire Housing for shared ownership and discount market homes in Canon Pyon.

The housing association has started work on nine affordable homes and has also submitted a planning application for a further 25 mixed homes.

Herefordshire Council said that in April there were around 4,000 houses which had an existing or pending planning permission; an increase of more than 500 houses over the past year.

Nearly 2,000 homes were completed in the county between 2011/12 and 2015/16.