Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Construction lobby group, the Modern Masonry Alliance, is calling on the Government to forward finance right-to-buy receipts to start work immediately on building 25,000 homes for affordable rent.
The Government yesterday unveiled plans to revamp right-to-buy by offering discounts of up to £75,000 on council-owned properties.
The Prime Minister said he was “re-booting” Margaret Thatcher’s flagship right-to-buy scheme after sales dropped to 3,700 last year from a peak of 84,000 a decade ago.
Cash raised will be poured into home building, with all sold properties replaced with new affordable homes for rent.
Mike Leonard, director of the Modern Masonry Alliance said: “It is vital receipts are ploughed into new housing if we are to avoid reliving the mistakes of the past and help the 5 million people who are on the waiting list for a new home.”
He warned there was an urgent need to build 25,000 additional social homes for rent in the next 18 months.
“With a £75,000 discount housing minister Grant Shapps will be doing plenty of business – so let’s get on with building the replacements now.”
“If we do this, it will deliver the kick-start for economic growth we so badly need and provide jobs for our young and older work force who are fast becoming disenfranchised from our society.”
