Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what support he has provided to local authorities and the construction industry to encourage the promotion of self-build schemes for constructing new homes.

Gavin Barwell:We have a strong commitment to supporting and encouraging the growth of self- and custom build homes. The Government has implemented new legislation requiring most local planning authorities to hold and have regard to registers for those seeking to build their own home in a local authority area. Subject to Parliamentary processes, in the Autumn we will also introduce secondary legislation flowing from the Housing and Planning Act 2016 which will require local planning authorities to find and give permission to suitable land reflecting the demand demonstrated by the registers. We have made available £32 million in new burdens funding over the Spending Review period in order to support local planning authorities in meeting these new requirements. In the 2015 Spending Review, the Government also announced a £3 billion loan fund of which £1 billion is specifically earmarked for short term loans to support small and medium builders and custom build projects and is designed to provide further support for the legislation that we have introduced.

RTB Extension Not Backed By Powers To Force Sale Of Homes

Housing associations cannot be compelled by regulators to sell their homes under the Government’s implementation of its Right To Buy extension, the housing minister has confirmed. Brandon Lewis told MPs that the voluntary deal would not initially be backed by new regulatory powers to force social landlords to give away their stock at large discounts.  The confirmation means that housing associations who have raised concerns about the policy’s impact on their finances and ability to build homes may be able to resist taking part of the sell-off. Mr Lewis said that though new legislation meant housing associations had a general duty to “promote home ownership” the Housing Ombudsman would not, at least initially, be able to force them to sell a home. Read more on the Independent website.

Right to Buy Scheme – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to discharge their legal obligations to promote Right to Buy; and if he will make a statement. 

Kris Hopkins: Social housing landlords have a statutory duty to process right to buy applications within set timescales. Where landlords are failing in this duty, I would encourage tenants to make use of the delay response mechanisms available, including serving landlords with statutory notices of delay where appropriate. Continual delays can result in a reduction in the purchase price (rent paid during the delayed period is treated as an advance payment towards the purchase price of the property under the right to buy). Statutory notice of delay forms and guidance can be found here:

www.gov.uk/right-to-buy-buying-your-council-home/delays My hon. Friend rightly identifies the need for tenants to have further support and information on the right to buy. The autumn statement outlines a series of steps, including new right to buy agents, and I am currently considering how best to engage with local authorities to raise the conversion rate from applications to sales.

Right to Buy Scheme – Parliamentary Written Answer

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have refused his Department's offer to help promote the Right to Buy.

Mr Prisk: After the important measures announced at Budget, I wrote to all stock owning local authorities, offering support to inform tenants of their Right to Buy. This includes delivering Right to Buy tenant roadshows in partnership with them in the local area.  To date, Right to Buy events have been held in Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, Croydon, Basildon, Milton Keynes, Bournemouth, Doncaster and Swindon.

Others, following initial contact, such as Brighton and Hove, Cannock Chase, Crawley, Enfield, Harlow, Havering, Kingston upon Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Norwich, Sheffield, Southampton, Southwark and Wigan, have declined to organise such events. I would urge them, together with like minded authorities to rethink and ensure that their tenants are well informed. Should they change their minds, we stand ready to help organise.