The Government should go further with reforming Right to Buy to give local authorities more flexibility and control over how the scheme operates locally, the LGA has said.
In its submission to a consultation on reforming Right to Buy (RTB), which closed last month, the LGA recognised that the Government’s reform proposals have taken on board councils’ key concerns.
However, to best serve their local housing markets and residents’ needs, local authorities need additional powers – including to set the discount rate, exempt newly built properties in perpetuity, protect their investment in retrofitting or improving their existing stock, and retain RTB receipts indefinitely.
The LGA has also called for the Government to undertake research on how many applications were made by tenants to buy their council houses last October-November, after it was announced in the Autumn Budget that RTB discounts would reduce.
Some councils reported receiving more applications in that three-week period than over the course of a typical year, resulting in significant resourcing challenges in meeting statutory timescales for accepting applications.
Cllr Adam Hug, LGA Housing Spokesperson, said: “We are pleased with the steps the Government has taken so far, but we urge further reform to ensure local authorities can properly manage the RTB scheme and address the chronic shortage of social housing.
“It is crucial that local authorities are given the power to shape the scheme to fit the needs of their communities.”