A Burley-in-Wharfedale mum has expressed her shock and frustration at not being able to afford a house in her home village.

Although she has a well-paid job as a training and development manager, Joanna Glover told the Gazette that she felt outraged that she may have to leave the village she was brought up in.

Ms Glover exemplifies many victims of the area's housing crisis, spotlighted previously in the Gazette.Her plight is not desperate enough to put her at the top of the council housing list, and she is not rich enough to be able to afford the rapidly climbing house prices.

After getting a divorce Ms Glover, 32, brought her two children, aged four and two, back to Burley 18 months ago where her parents are still living.

Living in rented accommodation in Willow Tree Gardens, Ms Glover started a search to buy her own house which was when her problems began.

She said: "Six months ago I sold my nice three-bedroom semi for £60,000, but to buy the same house as I had in Staffordshire would cost me approximately £135,000.

"As a single parent I am in a very fortunate position of having a very well paid job, but even I can't afford £135,000.

"Imagine my delight when the Wilcon Homes Development on the old Aireville Terrace School site was initially rejected as it needed to include some low cost housing - something affordable for first time buyers."

Hoping to take advantage of possible cheaper housing Ms Glover put herself on the mailing list straight away.

She said: "I was quite excited when my Dad told me they had opened the sales office - I drove straight there, but I nearly fell off the chair when I was given the price list."

Ms Glover discovered that the cheapest house was a one-bedroomed unit, costing £89,995 and the ideal property on the new development for her family - a three-bedroom town house with a small garden and parking space - costs £154,995. "This is not within reach for any first-time buyer I know," said Ms Glover.

But as Alison Deakin, the regional sales director for Wilcon Homes explained, the affordable housing units of the development are not up for open sale.

The ten properties designated as 'affordable' will be made over to a housing association and probably allocated through Bradford Council's housing list to those in greatest need.

"We will provide the ten units in due course and it will be through a suitable housing association - we will go into negotiations and we will be providing ten affordable houses," said Mrs Deakin.

She said that the rest of the 49 properties on the development would be sold at market price, which was the same across the whole of Wharfedale, including Ilkley, Addingham and Menston.

Ms Glover said that she was not on the council's housing list because she has the money to buy a house for herself.

"They should have affordable housing for people like me - I can afford to buy a house anywhere but in Ilkley and Burley," said Ms Glover.

She said that she wanted to remain in the village to be near her parents and her child-minder, but would have to consider leaving to find an affordable property.

Ms Glover said: "I don't just feel frustration, I feel anger because I need and want to stay here - it is part of my life."

Bill Dale, of Dale Eddison Estate Agents, on The Grove, Ilkley, said that the high prices reflected how popular the local area was with house hunters.

Mr Dale said: "The market is holding up very well - there is still a strong demand for properties across all price ranges, but there is a shortage of quality properties to sell.

"There are plenty of buyers and not enough properties to sell."