William Eichler 28 June 2017

Right to Buy ‘devastating’ social housing stock, new figures reveal

Council homes are being sold off almost three times faster than local authorities can replace them, research reveals.

Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to 72 councils found more than 12,000 council houses have been sold off since 2014, to a cost of over £930m, while only 4,309 were built over the same time period.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron — whose party issued the FoI requests — blamed this on Right to Buy, a policy he described as a ‘Conservative ideological crusade’.

‘The Government talked a lot about replacing council housing one for one but this has been shown to be utter fantasy,’ Mr Farron said.

‘Thousands of council houses are being sold off by the Tories never to be replaced. This is devastating our social housing stock and robbing many families of a safety net.’

A spokesman from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) denied the Government promised to replace every Right to Buy sale.

They said it was ‘only additional sales’ above the original forecasted baseline that should be replaced one for one, adding it was up to councils to use the receipts from Right to Buy sales for new homes.

‘Every additional home sold under the reinvigorated Right to Buy scheme must be replaced by an additional home,’ said the spokesperson.

‘Local authorities should deliver these additional affordable homes within 3 years, and so far they have achieved this.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Graduate Trainee Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

North Yorkshire Council
£25,183 - £30,559
Could you help us deliver Electric Vehicle infrastructure to support this new transformation mode of transport. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council

Contracts and Strategy Officer

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£41,442 - £44,331
Royal Greenwich is on the up! Having achieved a 3.8% increase in our recycling rate this year Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Senior Developer

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£52,584 - £69,068
Royal Greenwich is a vibrant borough, with a rich history and diverse community. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

SEND Operations Assistant - 2 year FTC

Essex County Council
£25081 - £26679 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
SEND Operations AssistantFixed Term, Full Time£25,081 to £26,679 Per AnnumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Welfare Benefits & Money Advice Caseworker

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Band E SCP 18-25 (£30,559 - £35,235 per annum
We have an exciting opportunity for a skilled individual to join our Welfare Rights Team Sandwell, West Midlands
Recuriter: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Linkedin Banner