COUNCIL bosses have agreed to take nearly three-quarters of people seeking social housing off its housing waiting list.

Cherwell District Council’s executive backed reforms to social housing on Monday night.

Two of the five bands people are placed in according to need will be scrapped, wiping 2,800 people off its 4,000-strong list overnight.

The council is responsible for prioritising social housing through providers such as Sanctuary Housing.

It said removing the two bands for those in lowest need, to take effect from April, would save the council administration costs.

And bosses said those in the two scrapped bands have no “realistic” chance of getting homes. Just 414 people on the list got homes last year.

Conservative lead member for financial management Ken Atack said: “We are protecting the most vulnerable.”

But Labour and Liberal Democrat opposition leaders raised concerns that people in need would be taken off the list.