Councils should be building more council houses urgently or stocks will be dangerously depleted by sales, says Swindon Borough Council leader David Renard.

Research by the Local Government Association shows £6bn has been given in discounts under the Right to Buy scheme since the discount was increased in 2012.

And that, according to Coun Renard, speaking in his capacity as the LGA’s housing spokesman, means there may soon be not enough council houses.

He said: “At a time of an escalating cost of living crisis, we urgently need to build more council homes, not have less,”

Mr Renard added: “It is becoming impossible for councils to replace homes as quickly as they’re being sold and they are increasingly having to do so with far less money than the property sells for because of discounts being offered

More than 1.9 million homes have been sold under RTB between its launch in 1980 and March 2021.

In 2011-12, 2,613 homes were sold under RTB which more than quadrupled to 12,220 withing four years though it dropped to just under 7,000 in 2020-21.

Coun Renard added that every home sold that is not replaced “risks pushing more families into the private rented sector, driving up housing benefit spending and rents and exacerbating our homelessness crisis”.

Swindon labour group’s spokesman for housing Janine Howarth agreed with the council leader’s assessment but said he seemed to have changed his tune somewhat.

She said: “Coun Renard is right to call on the Conservative government to reform Right To Buy and build more council housing but his calls might be more credible if he led by example by building more council housing in Swindon. It is in its power to do so.

“The number of council houses in Swindon has actually decreased since 2020.  There are currently 6,600 residents on the council’s waiting list but it is simply not building on the scale needed to tackle Swindon’s housing crisis.

She is added: “When Labour councillors last put forward a motion asking Coun Renard as council leader to write to the government requesting a national building programme of 100,000 council houses, the Conservative group removed this request and replaced it with praise for government’s housing policy.”

“Labour councillors have always argued that we need to build more council houses and would aspire to build 1000 new houses in 5 years if running the council.”

“If councils are to build more council houses the government needs to reform the system. We are currently in a cost-of-living crisis and it would be reckless of us to encourage more struggling, low-income families to take on a mortgage”

Speaking exclusively to the LDR, Coun Renard said: “The council’s affordable housing development programme is key to improving the quality of life for those with a range of needs and for varying levels of affordability.

“The first phase of the excellent Queens Drive regeneration is now complete. This £34m project is helping us with our priority to build good quality affordable homes in the borough.

“In addition, start on site has been achieved for 11 new assisted living bungalows at Ventnor Close and at Ashley Close. These properties are designed with the flexibility to accommodate a range of physical needs including wet rooms.

"There are also 12 1 bedroom adapted apartments and two three-bedroom wheelchair homes integrated on the Queens Drive redevelopment. Plans are also underway for possible 62 affordable homes.at Windmill Hill in Freshbrook.

“Our ongoing work with partner housing associations adds much-needed new additional affordable housing."

Swindon MP calls for more housing

 

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has said Swindon Borough Council needs to promote the government’s right to buy scheme on council houses to help more people onto the housing ladders.

But council leader David Renard, a fellow Conservative says it has been doing that.

Mr Tomlinson’s remarked followed Coun Renard, speaking at the Local Government Association’s housing spokesman, saying the growth of Right to Buy means councils are struggling to replace the number of council homes

He said the system needed reform: “Right to Buy continues to enable many families to achieve their dream of getting on the housing ladder and owning their own home. 

“However, without reform of the scheme, future generations will not enjoy the same opportunity.”

Mr Tomlinson: “The policy has and continues to open up home ownership to families up and down the country, a key part of social mobility and opportunity for all.

“We all agree we need to see this scheme sped up with the money quickly released for new, modern stock for the next generation.

“Whilst we are in agreement with David Renard and his LGA colleagues, he too needs to better promote the scheme here in Swindon to make sure hardworking local families benefit from the opportunity of owning their own home.”

Coun Renard said the council had done well in promoting the scheme, but the council’s housing stock didn’t make it easy: “Swindon has also been successful in facilitating the Government’s Right to buy scheme. However, due to the fact that 40  per of our stock is non- traditional they are not popular options with tenants which limits how many houses are available.