Stockport Council calls for Right to Buy suspension after losing half of social homes
Stockport Council has joined calls to suspend the Right to Buy scheme after losing nearly half of its social housing since the 1980s.
A report by the town hall stated that it has been 'forced' to sell more than 300 council properties over the last six years alone, with the rising cost of private accommodation adding 'continued pressure' to its housing register.
The council's housing chief, Cllr Colin MacAlister, said in the current climate it makes 'no sense' to build more social homes when they become available to buy with up to a 70 percent discount – around £102,400.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The Liberal Democrat Party's national policy is very clear, local authorities should have the right to suspend the right to buy.
"This is a national crisis compounded by the Right to Buy which can only be solved by massive government investment.
"Under the previous government local authorities were starved of the resources they need to build more social housing and, so far, the new Labour government seems to be continuing the trend."
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said they are "working at pace to reverse the continued decline in the number of social rent homes."
A spokesperson added: "The government has already given councils more flexibility to use Right to Buy receipts to deliver more social housing, on top of an additional £450 million for councils to secure homes for families at risk of homelessness.
"We have made clear we will give councils and housing associations the stability they need and will set out further details at the next spending review."
The Stockport Council report states that the borough has above average levels of owner-occupied properties, leading to lower numbers of available social and private rented homes.
It added: 'The council is continuing to lose properties through the Right to Buy and has since the 1980s been forced to sell almost half of the council owned housing, most of which have been houses.
'The level of discount varies according to length of tenancy, but, whilst capped at 70pc, the government have increased the maximum discount for each of the last 15 years.'
The shortage of housing in Stockport has led to rising levels of homelessness, and left 6,356 households waiting on the housing register as of April 2024.
Stockport Labour said the borough's housing situation is "concerning," and called for the Lib Dem administration to build more council properties.
Cllr David Meller, leader of the local Labour Party, added: "Over the years, we've seen a drastic reduction in council-owned homes, leaving many residents struggling to find secure housing.
"It's essential we act now to replenish this depleted stock by building more homes across the borough, which starts by having a fit-for-purpose local plan – something this Lib Dem-led council is failing to deliver because they continually put politics ahead of building homes.
"This council must prioritise the construction of new council housing as a key part to address this ongoing housing crisis."
Stockport council delayed its draft local plan last month after Labour proposed new changes to the national planning system.
This could mean mandatory housing targets for town halls across the country, and would result in Stockport having to nearly double the number of homes it builds each year.
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