THE time people can wait for a council house in Oxford ranges from one day to 33 YEARS.

City council figures show that in 1996/97 one person on the general housing register had waited 12,123 days, or just over 33 years, for a house.

The shortest time anyone on the general register waited in that year was two days, and the average wait was just under three years. The shortest wait on the homeless register was just one day before a house was found.

By 1997/98 the person who had been waiting longest had been on the list for 7,232 days, or not quite 20 years.

David Connett, Lib Dem housing spokesman on the council, said he would be asking the housing committee to launch a full review of housing stock and see why there were such massive differences in waiting times.

He also promised to find out what had happened to the person who hung on for 33 years. He said: "Some applicants are having to wait more than 33 years but equally some are only waiting a day or so.

"While I'm pleased that in some cases we have managed to act swiftly, I am appalled that anyone has had to wait over 33 years.

"I am aware that there is almost no hope for a single person under 55 of being offered one of our properties."

Oxford City Council's housing department operates an open housing list, which means anyone can register. But people who cannot demonstrate need can stay on the list forever.

Richard Peacock, the city's director of housing, said: "If you have very low points or no points then you won't get re-housed whereas if you're a woman with a child who is homeless then you're a priority.

"People can wait for 55 years if they are not in any housing need."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.