Conservative Councillors are calling on Bath and North East Somerset Council to release money from a £3 million fund in order to support the delivery of new affordable homes throughout the area.The £3 million reserve was created by the authority's previous Conservative administration back in 2010, but they say that since the Liberal Democrats took over the running of the Council in 2011, this funding has sat unused for nearly five years.

At the Council's budget-setting meeting taking place as The Journal went to press on Tuesday, 17th February, Conservatives were set to table a proposal which calls for money to be freed-up, so that it can be used to support more affordable housing schemes throughout the district. Conservative Shadow Spokesman for Homes and Planning, Councillor Liz Richardson, said: "It cannot be right that the Lib-Dems have allowed this money to be left unused for so long, when there is a desperate need for more affordable homes.

"Our proposal, therefore, calls for this money to be released from this reserve to support the building of more affordable homes on brownfield developments in our area."

Councillor Charles Gerrish, Conservative Shadow Spokesman for Resources, added: "The reserve was originally set up with the intention of supporting the affordable housing element of Western Riverside. However, the Council has been able to use Right to Buy receipts to fund this instead. That means that this fund could be freed-up to enable a higher number of affordable homes to be built within other major developments, such as Foxhill, Somerdale, Radstock, or elsewhere. But, at the moment, this money is being left unused and its value eroded by inflation in the building sector."

Speaking to the Journal this week, Councillor Tim Ball (Twerton), Cabinet member for Homes and Planning, said: "Once again the Conservatives are calling for us to do something that we're already doing. This reserve fund was mainly for the future phases of Bath Western Riverside. However, since we have had some windfall capital receipts – which go towards affordable housing – we have some breathing room. We have already been able to plan to reallocate part of the money. It's a pity the Conservative Group didn't read their budget papers first.

"Over the last four years, the Liberal Democrat-run Council has beaten housing targets and we have delivered affordable housing at record levels. We have also adopted an approved Core Strategy which will ensure that housing and jobs are provided on time and in the right places for the local area.

"The previous Conservative administration failed to keep up with housing targets and their record on affordable housing was extremely poor."