PLANS to build two skyscrapers behind Liverpool’s Central station came under fire last night for not containing enough affordable housing.

Liverpool Council’s Labour group is opposing the £100m Central Village project, claiming it could “price ordinary people out of the market”.

But Liberal Democrat council leader Cllr Warren Bradley said the city could not afford to risk driving developers away from investing by imposing limits on new schemes.

The long-awaited Central Village proposal contains more than 200 apartments, shops and leisure facilities around Central station.

It will go before the council’s planning committee on Tuesday, but Labour have raised an objection because it includes no provision for “affordable” homes.

Liverpool stands apart from other major cities like Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle, which stipulate city centre developments should include 10%-40%of properties classed as affordable, usually rented by a housing association.

But Liverpool’s current housing strategy declares the “development of significant low-cost market housing or affordable home ownership in the city centre should not be encouraged”.

Last night, the Liberal Democrats said a balance should be struck across the city.

Cllr Bradley said: “It is easy to talk about social and affordable housing, but to me it is about long-termism.

“Every development which comes into the city has to be judged on its own merits.”