Council housing stock in the UK must be ‘replenished’ and improved in design, a think tank has argued.

In its ‘Building Beautiful Council Houses’ report, the Policy Exchange think tank calls for a boost in housebuilding, recommending the annual construction of ‘100,000 beautiful, high-quality council homes’ across England and Wales.

The author of the report, Ike Ijeh, advocates for a ‘simultaneous increase’ in both housing quality and quantity, as well as improvements to their surrounding areas.

To rectify the country’s housing crisis, the report recommends a ‘significant’ rise in council housing stock, arguing that an additional 100,000 homes could create an estimated 140,000 jobs and £10bn in economic benefits during this Parliament.

The ‘new generation’ of council houses should be ‘beautiful and inspiring’, the think tank suggests, emphasising that homes should be constructed according to the ‘highest built and design quality possible’.

The report also recommends that new housing should be secure and diverse, built to resonate with ‘the human spirit and condition’, as well as being situated within strong communities.

As an amendment to the Right to Buy scheme, the think tank advises that a new council house should be built for each sold, ensuring the ‘commitment to sustaining council house stock levels’ is maintained.

Furthermore, the report calls for adaptations to the Infrastructure Levy to see that it is ‘compulsory, flat rate and locally set’, supporting local authorities in their ability to ‘self-finance the construction of new council homes’.

‘As well as the national guidance contained in the new National Design Guide for Council Housing, local authorities will be required to tailor its recommendations to their own local circumstances and incorporate this amended guidance into their Local Plans’, the report reads.