Estate agent Alex Doggett says a Government ‘help to buy scheme’ has failed the people of Wisbech.

“The scheme continues to leave the Wisbech area out of the loop,” said Mr Doggett of Aboda Homes.

“Since the scheme’s launch in April 2013 – and to May this year- there have been only nine homes sold using the scheme in the Fenland area, seven of which where in the PE16 postcode area of Chatteris.

“That means there were only two other homes sold using the scheme in the remaining postcode districts of Fenland being PE15 for March, PE7 for Whittlesey and PE13 for Wisbech.”

South Holland has fared much better with 49 homes sold using the scheme and in Kings Lynn and West Norfolk there were 43 people using the scheme.

Land registry data shows there have been 897 home sales completed from April 2013 to March 2014 in the Wisbech PE13 and PE14 areas.

“This means the maximum percentage of homes that could have possibly used the scheme in the Wisbech area is less than half a percent,” he said. “Since starting out, and since the scheme’s launch, not one of my buyers has ever used the scheme to purchase a home in the area.

“Considering the scheme can be used to purchase any home -not just new builds- up to £600,000, this shows a massive under use, and failure, of the scheme in the Wisbech area.

“It is either by lack of knowledge of the scheme by local buyers and those thinking of moving here or the scheme are a white elephant, whereby I mean many buyers may have applied for the scheme but been declined.”

•Have you tried buying a home in the area using the scheme? Have you been declined? Were you even aware of the scheme at all? Email john.elworthy@archant.co.uk