John Baron MP welcomes Government funding for more local homes

MP says funding will be real boost to local communities

 John Baron MP has welcomed Government funding to build more affordable homes in Basildon and Billericay. Through the New Homes Bonus, Basildon Borough Council has been granted £719,398 to build much-needed housing in the local area. The New Homes Bonus is a multi-billion pound programme that rewards communities when they accept more house building in their area. The Bonus includes an extra reward for building new affordable homes, and for getting long-term empty homes back into use.

 Building on the flagship Housing Strategy, the Government has this week unveiled a range of measures to help first time buyers onto the housing ladder, provide support for millions who have been left languishing on social housing waiting lists and get construction on the move.

 John said:

 “Under the previous Government, the number of affordable homes fell, waiting lists almost doubled and first-time buyer numbers collapsed to their lowest level for a generation.”

 “I am therefore delighted to welcome this funding for new homes in Basildon and Billericay. The Government’s actions will help local people onto the housing ladder, provide more affordable housing and create local jobs”.

 Ends

Word Count: 204

Date:   2^nd February 2012

 Notes to Editors

 NEW HOMES BONUS

•  The New Homes Bonus is a multi-billion pound programme that rewards communities when they accept more housebuilding in their area. The Bonus includes an extra reward for building new affordable homes, and for getting long-term empty homes back into use (DCLG Press Release, 3 November 2010).
• On 1 February 2012, the Government announced the grant allocation (detail in the attached pdf) for each council around the country  (DCLG Press Release, 1 February 2012).

 HOUSING MINISTER’S UPDATE FOLLOWING HOUSING STRATEGY LAUNCH

 On 1 February 2012, Housing Minister Grant Shapps highlighted how the Government’s action to get Britain building again will play a vital and central role in getting the country’s economy on the road to recovery. Among the range of measures to get the homes the country needs built, the Minister announced:

•  That he has already identified enough Government land to build 80,000 homes, and is now working with organisations including the BBC and Royal Mail to find even more unused sites for housebuilding – meaning Ministers are on course to release enough land for 100,000 homes by 2015;
•  Details of the NewBuy Guarantee scheme to help those aspiring to buy newly-built properties to do so with just a fraction of the deposit that’s normally required; and
• That he is devolving power from Whitehall to Town Halls, ending a long-standing ‘tax on tenants’ in a £19 billion deal enabling councils to keep the rents they collect and invest the money in their homes (DCLG Press Release, 1 February 2012).

 HOUSING STRATEGY LAUNCH

•  On 21 November 2011, Housing Minister Grant Shapps published Laying the Foundations: A Housing Strategy for England. This Strategy sets out the Government’s plans to support social mobility and get the housing market – and in particular new housebuilding – moving again (Hansard, 21 November 2011, Col.5WS).
• At the Housing Strategy launch the Prime Minister said: ‘When first-time buyers on a good salary cannot get a reasonable mortgage, the whole market grinds to a halt…affecting builders, retailers, plumbers – all the people that depend on a housing market that is moving. If we don’t do something like this we are not going to get this vital market moving…We will restart the housing market and get Britain building again’ (BBC News, 21 November 2011).

 HOUSING STRATEGY – OTHER KEY MEASURES

• Supporting builders with ‘buy now, pay later’ deals. The Build Now, Pay Later deals on the table will help to support builders who are struggling to get finance upfront. We are freeing up formerly used public sector land with capacity to deliver up to 100,000 new homes.
• Boost for larger-scale new development. We will be providing more support for local areas that want to deliver larger-scale new development to meet the needs of their growing communities.
•  Incentivising housing growth. We are putting in place strong, new incentives for housing growth through the New Homes Bonus, Community Infrastructure Levy and the proposals for local business rates retention.