Idea to Sell-Off Council Houses In Nottingham 'A Complete Non-Starter'

The idea that councils should sell expensive social housing to fund the building of cheaper homes has been described as a "complete non-starter" by Nottingham City Council's lead housing councillor.  Councillor Dave Liversidge, portfolio holder for housing, adults and the community sector, said that the theory, which was published by a think tank called Policy Exchange yesterday, would not work in Nottingham. The report, called Ending Expensive Social Tenants, claims that selling the most expensive council houses could raise £4.5 billion a year, allowing 170,000 affordable homes to be built.  However, Mr Liversidge said there are not a significant number of council houses in Nottingham that are worth much more than the average house price.  And it would mean getting rid of good quality family housing, which the city needs.  He said: "I don't believe there'll be more than half a dozen houses that could be sold at a better than average price.”  Read more on the Nottingham Post website.