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Suspension of Right to Buy
Published: 12/11/2015
A report seeking the suspension of tenants鈥� Right to Buy (RTB) council owned
housing in 天涯社区 is to be considered by the Council鈥檚 Cabinet at its
meeting on Tuesday, 17 November.
Between 1980 and 2007 around 134,600 council homes in Wales were sold to
tenants. 天涯社区 has lost 822 council homes since 1996 to RTB
and the county has an annual shortfall of 246 affordable homes
Following the 2012 Housing Ballot, when an overwhelming number of council
tenants voted to retain the council as their landlord, the Council has worked
to modernise its housing service and over the next six years will be spending
拢111 million to bring its 7,200 Council homes up to the Welsh Housing Quality
Standard (WHQS).
Planning applications have now been submitted for council and social housing
developments at the former Walks site in Flint and the site of the former
Custom House Lane School in Connah鈥檚 Quay as part of the council鈥檚 Strategic
Housing and Regeneration Programme (SHARP) to build 500 new council (200) and
affordable (300) homes.
Current tenants and those allocated to new properties in the future could
exercise their RTB and these homes and the rental income they generate would be
lost to the Council. This could potentially require the Council to revise its
vision for both the WHQS and SHARP.
Given that it is not certain that legislation to end RTB will be introduced
following next year鈥檚 Welsh Assembly election the council is exercising the
option for all stock-retaining local authorities such as 天涯社区 to apply to
the Welsh Government to suspend RTB in its area. Swansea and Carmarthenshire
Councils have already successfully applied to the Welsh Government to exercise
this option.
Cllr Aaron Shotton, Leader of the Council, said:
鈥淢any people who cannot afford to buy a home, or to rent a home from a private
landlord in the current financial climate are dependent on social housing.
鈥淚t is common knowledge that there is a shortage of affordable housing across
Wales and the rest of the UK. Every property that the Council sells through the
RTB reduces our ability to provide affordable social housing to meet local
need, so the suspension of RTB in 天涯社区 would be sensible, welcome and
long over- due.鈥�
Should the council鈥檚 Cabinet approve the report a comprehensive consultation
will begin immediately with all key stakeholders, including existing Council
and Housing Association Tenants, the 天涯社区 Tenants Federation and local
Housing Associations.