Key workers get home help Public sector workers like nurses, teachers and police officers have bought £12.4m of property in Oxfordshire, thanks to a scheme helping them on to the housing ladder.

Keystart Housing Association has helped 85 people buy their own homes since April last year through a Government scheme to help low-paid staff in hospitals, schools and police forces to stay in areas with a high cost of living.

The news has been welcomed by public sector employers and union members.

But it comes as NHS managers have criticised Oxford City Council for holding up permission for more affordable homes for health staff.

The council says the schemes are subject to the same criteria as all other planning applications.

Although recent figures show property prices are falling in Oxfordshire, the county is still one of the most expensive places to live, and the average home costs £219,000.

As a result, many key workers are leaving the area for cheaper areas, where they can afford to buy their own homes.

Through the Government's £690m Key Worker Living scheme, Keystart has helped 32 health employees, 32 teachers, 21 police officers and other public sector staff to move into their own homes -- with an average price of £145,800.

Every home owner is offered financial help through shared ownership or an equity loan of up to £50,000.

Jacqueline Day, Keystart sales and marketing manager, said: "The scheme is continuing to prove popular in Oxfordshire. It has generated millions of pounds of property purchases and has helped some of the most important workers in our communities to buy the homes they need, where they need them."

Mark Forder, Oxfordshire secretary of the National Union of Teachers, praised the scheme's success, but said it was still too small to benefit everyone.

He said: "We think there's a great need for this kind of initiative and our only regret is that it's still fairly small scale.

"We recruit many young teachers each year and a fair percentage don't stay once they cease to live in shared accommodation, because they can't buy on their salary -- even a couple would find it difficult."

Keith Raw, housing co-ordinator at Thames Valley Health Authority, said: "This scheme is important because of the high prices of houses.

"It's difficult for our staff to live in the area because of the expensive housing."

Mr Raw said while the key worker scheme was thriving, in-house projects to provide affordable housing for NHS staff were being held up by Oxford City Council.

Although the health authority is working with developers to block-buy flats at a discount, two schemes have been held up.

Plans for 15 two-bed apartments in Headley Way, Headington, have been turned down by the council, while a proposed development of 14 one and two-bedroom homes in London Road has been referred to the strategic development control committee.

Mr Raw said: "We're trying to find affordable accommodation and it's as though the council is not even trying to help us."

Paul Semple, a principal planning officer at Oxford City Council, said councillors had concerns about the designs of the schemes and access.

He said: "Councillors have been sympathetic to the idea of key worker accommodation, and it's other planning issues that led to the application in London Road being called in and the one in Headley Way being rejected.

"For example, a side access was not wide enough for fire vehicles, while nurses wouldn't have been allowed to bring their cars on to the site, which may have led them to parking elsewhere, exacerbating on-street parking problems in the area."