A young couple who are expecting their fourth child and are “desperate” to move into a bigger home say their human rights are being violated after they were told they could not have a three bedroom house with another baby on the way.

Daniel Norris, 28, his pregnant wife Zoe and their three daughters are currently “crammed” into a two-bed house and have been on the Bucks Home Choice bidding system for a three-bed house for two years.

The family were excited when they were shortlisted for a new Thames Valley Housing home on the Pine Trees estate on Daws Hill Lane and organised a viewing – but were told they could no longer have the property because Zoe is pregnant and their three-bed homes are only suitable for three to five people.

Mr Norris said: “Our baby is due in December and we are desperate. Some housing associations say a house can hold up to six people. A three-bed house is a three-bed house, surely? 

“What happens when our baby is born? It is disgusting. If we are getting rejected for three-bed houses, why are being told to bid on them? We are being set up to fail.”

Sue Robinson, a spokesman for Wycombe District Council, who operate Bucks Home Choice with other district councils, said: “Bucks Home Choice has its own allocation policy whereby we will nominate households who fulfil our criteria to the housing association.

"All housing associations will also have their own allocation policy which will always take precedence over the Bucks Home Choice allocation policy.

“In the case of Mr and Mrs Norris the housing association whom we nominated them to refused our nomination as the family did not meet their allocation criteria.

"Had Bucks Home Choice known that Mrs Norris was pregnant, we would not have nominated them as we are aware of the housing association’s allocation policy. 

“Under the Bucks Home Choice policy once their fourth child is born, due to the ages of the children, they are still classified as needing three bedrooms. We assess bedroom need in line with the same regulations used to assess housing benefit. 

“Because social housing is scarce we can only allocate based on housing need rather than a desire.”

Howard Dawson, interim director of housing and neighbourhood services at Thames Valley Housing, said: “We understand the frustration Daniel and Zoe Norris must be feeling, and are sorry that they were nominated for a property at Daws Hill Lane that was not suitable for them.

"Daniel and Zoe already have three children, and we found out when we interviewed the family that Mrs Norris was expecting another baby. The specific property of ours that they were nominated to by Wycombe District Council was designed as a three bedroom, 5 person house given the size of the bedrooms.

"It means the property is only suitable for a one or two parent family with three children. Given the circumstances, they would have been overcrowding the property almost immediately.

"Thames Valley Housing’s aim is to provide lifetime homes that are suitable for the family moving in. This is first and foremost for the wellbeing of residents; it minimises the problems caused by overcrowding and reduces any unnecessary additional disruption and costs to residents which would arise if they have to move again. 

"Although each housing provider lets their properties in accordance with their own policy, we are required by our regulator, the Homes and Communities Agency, to ensure that we make best use of our available properties. Therefore we do not allow tenants to over or under-occupy.

"We hope that the family are able to find a suitable home through Wycombe District Council, large enough for their growing family, very swiftly.”