OPPOSITION councillors claim the Green administration is set to miss its 2011 election pledge for at least 1,000 new affordable homes by more than 85%.

Labour councillors claim their research shows only 147 new affordable homes will be completed in Brighton and Hove by the end of the Greens’ four-year administration, with another 140 set to be completed in the months after the election.

Housing committee chairman Bill Randall said he was “puzzled” by Labour’s claims and said 1,700 new homes, traveller pitches and empty properties brought back into use would be the administration’s legacy.

Labour claims only five housing schemes started under the current Green administration have been completed, yielding a total of 147 homes with a further five schemes for 140 homes scheduled to be completed by September next year.

The party’s research reveals a further 12 schemes launched under the previous Conservative administration led to 404 affordable homes being built since 2010.

Councillor Warren Morgan leader of the city council’s Labour group, said the administration had failed to deliver on housing promises.

He challenged senior Greens to take a tour of the city’s “phantom homes and missing estates”.

Deputy Labour leader councillor Gill Mitchell said: “This represents a massive failure of political will by the Green Party that leaves Brighton and Hove short of essential affordable housing that hard-pressed local people need.”

However, Coun Randall said 374 housing association homes had been completed since he became the first Green council leader in May 2011, with another 180 to be completed by the end of the year.

He said Labour councillors were well aware of a programme for more than 250 new council homes in central Brighton, Whitehawk and Portslade, the initial stages of which would begin later this month.

The housing committee chairman said Labour had failed to address the issue of affordability claiming most housing association homes were beyond the pay packets of residents because of changes by the Conservative-led coalition government to subsidy arrangements for social housing.

He added: “In 2011, we said we would start 1,000 new affordable homes. In the event, and in the teeth of the recession, we have planned and produced a programme with our partners that will yield 750 new homes, plus the 15 pitches on the travellers’ site.

“In addition, 245 homes planned and approved under the Conservatives have been completed and we’ve also brought more than 700 empty homes back into use.”