The first rung of the property ladder is decades away for many Kingston home buyers, writes Steven Prince.

Average single-child couples and single occupants must save for more than 20 years to afford a 20 per cent deposit, a report by housing charity Shelter claimed.

But some may not have any discretionary income to save, the report, written in conjunction with Liverpool Economics, said.

Paul Johnston, chairman of the Kingston Federation of Residents, said: “We see ordinary one-bedroom flats on sale for £250,000 in Kingston.

“How on earth are young people ever going to save the £50,000 needed to get on to just the bottom rung of the housing ladder?”

Kingston’s childless couples are slightly better off, saving for just over a decade – 10.8 years – before buying.

Shelter said: “The failure of successive governments to build enough affordable homes for decades and rising house prices has meant that home ownership has become a dream rather than a reality for a lot of young people.”

Kingston Council plans to build 532 affordable homes between 2011 and 2015.