Sir – I would like to reassure local people that at South Oxfordshire District Council we’re doing our upmost to make the district more affordable for first-time buyers (Report, October 14).

We have an ongoing programme, which promotes a range of low-cost home ownership opportunities for people living and/or working in the district who are unable to buy on the open market.

This includes an open market equity loan scheme that provides assistance of up to £50,000 by way of low interest-only equity loans to eligible applicants, to buy a property of their own choice on the open market. The council is looking to help at least 20 households with this scheme.

Another option for first-time buyers is shared ownership.

There will be 70 shared ownership homes built around the district over the next three years, and the Didcot expansion will see even more built in the future.

Shared ownership properties are also well below our average house price, making it much more affordable.

In the last 12 months, flats and houses have been sold in Henley and Wallingford, as well as in some rural areas, with initial shares of 50 per cent of the full price costing between £87,500 and £112,500 thanks to shared ownership schemes.

We might have some of the highest house prices in the area but this means we work even harder to help first-time buyers.

Dorothy Brown, Cabinet member for housing, South Oxfordshire District Council