A “complete community” can never be achieved in Beaconsfield due to sky-high housing prices according to a residents group, after it was revealed to be one of the UK’s only ‘million pound towns’.

A study by Lloyds Bank found that the average price of a house in Beaconsfield is now £1,003,367, making it one of three most expensive towns outside of London, alongside Virginia Water and Cobham in Surrey.

Douglas Butterfield, chair of the volunteer group Vision for Beaconsfield, fears young people trying to get on the property ladder and older people may not be able to live in the town because of rocketing house prices.

He said: “Young people who have grown up in the town and want to continue living here cannot afford to own their own home here.

“Older people who want to downsize their houses cannot find the less expensive kind of house they want to live in.

“Personally, I regret that the town doesn’t have the right mix of housing it needs to be a complete community.”

Mr Butterfield says more affordable housing is needed in the town to avoid dividing the community into rich and poor.

He said: “I don’t think there is nearly enough for a town of this size. This needs to be done soon or it is going to become a place where the rich can afford to live and the less fortunate cannot.

“If it becomes the sort of place where people on moderate incomes, like teachers or care workers cannot afford to live, it will not be good for the town. These are the kind of people our town needs.”  

Vision for Beaconsfield addressed the issue in their town plan, which they handed to the town council in July this year.

The report said: “Our population is largely well educated and prosperous. But we know that some people are much less well-off and to be poor in a wealthy town can be isolating.

“The population is ageing, while high house prices force out younger generations and those on lower incomes, unbalancing the social mix and making many feel estranged from this wealthy community.”

Across the district in 2013/14, 19 additional affordable homes – 12 new build properties and seven acquisitions of existing properties, were delivered by London and Quadrant with funding support from the council.

Cllr Ralph Bagge, South Bucks District Council leader, said the lack of affordable housing is a national problem and is seeking a change in legislation to ensure more starter homes are built.

He said: “The shortage of affordable homes is not restricted to Beaconsfield, or indeed South Bucks.

“Whilst our local plan requires developers to provide affordable housing in new developments, it is an ongoing source of frustration when developers are able to demonstrate that this is not viable, mainly due to the very high prices paid for development land.”

Estate agent Nigel Briggs, who owns Nigel Briggs & Co in Aylesbury End, has seen the prices of properties ‘rise considerably’ since opening in the town in 2008 and believes the area is very desirable for families and professionals.

He said: “It is a very pleasant area to live in, motorway access is excellent and schooling is a very large factor. People want the grammar school system, or those with higher incomes can afford the private schools in the area.

“Prices have increased considerably since I opened. There is a whole new world of apartments, from smaller to large that have created a whole new market. Figures over a million pounds are regularly being achieved but larger houses are still popular in Beaconsfield. Many roads that weren’t achieving big numbers are now.”

While residents have raised concerns about local people being pushed out of the town, Mr Briggs says the demand for larger properties from Beaconsfield residents is still alive.

He said: “There are more people coming from outside Beaconsfield, we recently sold a house to an Arab gentleman from Abu Dhabi, but the local market isn’t one to be ignored. There are people from Beaconsfield who wish to aspire to live in a grander property.

“There are still local people purchasing the grander houses in the town, but we are also seeing a number of people coming from London to buy here.”