A bleak picture has been painted of an emerging housing crisis in the county, says a council chief.

Kent County Council's (KCC) cabinet met has been told there could be major delays to building of hundreds of homes across the 12 districts, excluding Medway, despite the lifting of lockdown restrictions.

Key issues include labour shortages and lack of skilled workers in the housing sector – particularly bricklayers, roofers and HGV drivers.

In Dartford, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) has a target to create 525 homes by the end of the year, with less than 50% of that number completed.

KCC's economic development cabinet member Cllr Derek Murphy (Con), who sits on the board of EDC, told his councillors: "This is symptomatic of what we are experiencing across the county."

It comes almost two years after Boris Johnson's Tory Government pledged to create 300,000 homes a year in England by the mid-2020s to reduce the under-supply.

However, Brexit, Covid and furlough have hit those plans.

'Even if you get a hold of the goods in the first place, you can't deliver them.'

The average cost of hiring experienced employees has risen from 10% to 20% as European foreign workers have returned to their native countries due to Brexit visa restrictions and the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition, some self-employed workers have been seeing out the remaining months of furlough, rather than go back to work.

Meanwhile, housing developers have told the county council that import costs of building materials, namely timber, have rocketed, some by as much as 250%.

There is also a short supply of cement, bricks and roof tiles, it was revealed.

In the meeting this week, Cllr Murphy, of Deal and Walmer, said: "There is a lack of HGV drivers on building sites.

"Even if you get a hold of the goods in the first place, you can't deliver them."

He added: "These are issues that we are trying to address in the county."

Going forward, housing developers are seeking to find alternative solutions.

It was suggested that local planning authorities streamline the process by working more closely with home builders.

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