Mortgage affordability for homebuyers was at its tightest since 2008 last year, according to an industry body. Homebuyers across the UK typically spent just over a fifth (21.3%) of their gross income on their mortgage payments last year, the highest level since 2008, UK Finance said. In North Norfolk in East Anglia and the London borough of Hillingdon, new borrowers typically spent over a quarter of their gross income on mortgage repayments. The least affordable local authority in 2025 was North Norfolk, where homebuyers needed 25.7% of gross income typically to cover initial mortgage payments, UK Finance said. London commuter belt areas such as Luton (24.9%), Slough (24.8%) and Spelthorne (24.8%) were also identified as being among the least affordable areas. The most affordable local authorities were in Scotland, including East Ayrshire and Inverclyde.…