Brown orders thousands of new council homes to be built

[amir_j]

“We will not allow old arguments and old ideologies to stop us getting on with the job together when there are families who need homes, when there bricklayers, carpenters and electricians ready and willing to work, when there are construction companies that are ready to build houses.”

The biggest council house building programme for decades was ordered by Gordon Brown yesterday as he urged town halls to rescue the construction industry and help to kick-start the economy.

Treasury rules that have stopped local authorities from building social housing should be relaxed to allow councils to borrow more money and to keep the proceeds from rents and sales, the Prime Minister said.

The changes, which could be introduced within months, would help to reverse the dramatic fall in homes built by councils since Margaret Thatcher introduced the right to buy policy in the early 1980s. Last year only 375 council homes were built.

Thousands of houses could be constructed by councils in the next few years on land that already has planning permission but where cash-strapped private developers hit by the recession have pulled out of projects.

Mr Brown told council leaders in London yesterday that town halls had a vital role to play in getting Britain out of the recession. “In the past we have placed restrictions on local authorities delivering social housing,” he told a conference held by the New Local Government Network. “But, today, let me be clear: if local authorities can convince us that they can deliver quickly, and cost effectively, more of the housing that Britain needs . . . then we will be prepared to give them our full backing and put aside anything that stands in their way.”

Council chiefs welcomed the opportunity last night to take a bigger role in housebuilding, although they have privately warned officials that the changes will not be easy to implement. Land would have to be identified and town halls would have to secure finance from banks or public bonds at a time when credit is hard to come by.

Last night the Local Government Association said that the proposed changes would give real incentives for councils to build more housing for some of society’s most vulnerable people and for the thousands of people who are being repossessed.

The main reason for the building decline is that, since 1989, councils have had to give back at least 75 per cent of the income they receive in rent and sales to the Treasury. But so many people are now on waiting lists — and the figure is likely to rise to five million as the recession kicks in and more homes are repossessed.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/art...
http://www.planningresource.co.uk/news/ByDisciplin...

Edited by amir_j on Friday 30th January 08:40

[trumpet600]

What will 'Lucky' come up with next ?

[Swilly]

Dos this mean we are going to get lots of hastily built, cheap nasty quality council estates at great cost !?

Lovely

Scotch idiot

[chris watton]

So how soon will the country be called "The Socialist Republic of Former Great Britain"?

[jkennyd]

Swilly said:

Scotch idiot

Unlike the "English idiot" who sold off the council housing in the first place

[Maxf]

I assume in his calculation of how many council houses are required he has accounted for the millions of migrant workers who will be leaving as the £ becomes 1:1 with the button/bottle cap?

What next - employ people as 'pigeon scarers' to keep employment figures down?

[jkennyd]

We wont be scaring them we will be eating them

[Jasandjules]

jkennyd said:

Swilly said:

Scotch idiot

Unlike the "English idiot" who sold off the council housing in the first place

And gave millions the ability to be homeowners instead of council tenants?

[RichardD]

Maxf said:

...
What next - employ people as 'pigeon scarers' to keep employment figures down?

I believe there is a scheme already nearing completion to create limitless public sector jobs.

Workers will operate in pairs.
The first will dig a hole.
The second will fit it in.

[briSk]

Jasandjules said:

jkennyd said:

Swilly said:

Scotch idiot

Unlike the "English idiot" who sold off the council housing in the first place

And gave millions the ability to be homeowners instead of council tenants?

and improved the areas because they owned the property instead of being allowed to live there with subsidised rents...


all these new houses had better be 5 beds to get the pikeys out of all these posh houses..!

[Skipppy]

I am having visions of large shanty towns akin to parts Rio de Janero popping up around the country.

[Puggit]

How many will actually get built before the general election?

[james_tigerwoods]

Why is it that whenever there's a central f*** up, central government orders local action to fix it - I know we all need to play a part (in some way) but it just seems like Westminster screws up and locals have to "act NOW to fix it".

Or is it just me?

[briSk]

james_tigerwoods said:

Why is it that whenever there's a central f*** up, central government orders local action to fix it - I know we all need to play a part (in some way) but it just seems like Westminster screws up and locals have to "act NOW to fix it".

Or is it just me?

that's actually a very good point!

_____________

personally i buy into a bit of fiscal pump priming (always have). i just don't trust these arses to get it right!

as suggested higher up. we're going to end up with loads of prefab plywood eco homes that all cost a fortune to sort out the damp problems in 5 years time...!

[jkennyd]

Jasandjules said:

jkennyd said:

Swilly said:

Scotch idiot

Unlike the "English idiot" who sold off the council housing in the first place

And gave millions the ability to be homeowners instead of council tenants?

Fair enough but at what cost. All the "good" housing has now been sold. The waiting lists for people who just cant afford to buy is huge and is causing a massive drain on the coffers with having to use private landlords, some of whom dont give a toss about their tenants. Councils that had to use their percentage of money from the sales to keep things afloat, now have none. Many were bought by their offspring for a fraction of the real cost then sold for a huge profit when they were dead, a bit heavy I know. The list goes on and I'm needing to work .
Plus its Friday and beer night so why am I debating this mince.

[Big Rod]

Jasandjules said:

jkennyd said:

Swilly said:

Scotch idiot

Unlike the "English idiot" who sold off the council housing in the first place

And gave millions the ability to be homeowners instead of council tenants?

But the fact remains they were an idiot AND they were English! It's obvious that their nationality is a fundamental part of their Idiocy is it not? Tch!

If you can't beat 'em, Join 'em!

[voyds9]

jkennyd said:

Jasandjules said:

jkennyd said:

Swilly said:

Scotch idiot

Unlike the "English idiot" who sold off the council housing in the first place

And gave millions the ability to be homeowners instead of council tenants?

Fair enough but at what cost. All the "good" housing has now been sold. The waiting lists for people who just cant afford to buy is huge and is causing a massive drain on the coffers with having to use private landlords, some of whom dont give a toss about their tenants. Councils that had to use their percentage of money from the sales to keep things afloat, now have none. Many were bought by their offspring for a fraction of the real cost then sold for a huge profit when they were dead, a bit heavy I know. The list goes on and I'm needing to work .
Plus its Friday and beer night so why am I debating this mince.

As far as I remember it was a two part plan
1) sell of existing housing to current tenants (to increase private ownership)
2) build new houses to make up for the losses

Part 1 was done part two never really got off the ground.

The original idea was sound the implementation left something to be desired.

[Jdavis]

if you can't afford a house, stop at your parents or rent somewhere private.
I don't believe the benefit system should be run the way it is now, 16yr old and have a kid to some unsupportive little scrote who couldn't care less. good luck to you, but you chose to get pregnant and have the kid, there are many options to remove the chance of getting pregnant. why should we, the taxpayer, provide you with housing?
there really should be no need for council housing in this day and age, private renting is readily available.

I have my flame proof jacket on

[thinfourth2]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yes it is a st idea that stupid bloody scotsman

Can't he see that it would be far better to have builders unemployed and claiming the dole instead of building houses that will give councils another income stream.

the man is an idiot

Can't he see it is far better the government pays inflated rent to private landlords instead of low rents to councils to house the unemployable.

If only he had been english and conservative then it would be a great idea

If David Cameron had annoced this you lot would be wetting your pants with excitement.


You show the very worst face of politics red ideas must be bad and blue ideas must be good and this is a reason this country is heading down the tubes the colour of an idea or policy is FAR more important then the actual policy

[Martial Arts Man]

Another "announcement" from our Dear Leader.

Probably won't happen if all the others are anything to go by!


MAM