New Winchester council homes could be built inside two years (From Hampshire Chronicle)

New Winchester council homes could be built inside two years

9:00am Tuesday 7th February 2012 in News By Warwick Payne

Winchester Guildhall, where the housing meeting took place

THE first new council houses in Winchester for a generation could be ready within two years.

The city council is forming a new team of experts to bring the plans forward as soon as possible.

Details about the scheme emerged at the cabinet housing committee, which met on Wednesday (February 1).

Members heard that the council had been unable to build homes because of the old national rent system.

Around one third of rent paid by Winchester council tenants – about £9m per year – was kept by Westminster.

Government reforms, which come into force in April, will now allow the district to keep that money.

In exchange for a one-off payment of £157m, Winchester can buy itself out of the national scheme.

Repaid as a 30-year loan, the deal could save Winchester more than £100m over the next three decades.

Council chiefs hope to use the extra cash to fund repairs and also to build some new homes.

Corporate director Steve Tilbury said they were forming a team of housing officers and consultants to push the plans ahead.

Cllr Jamie Scott, who represents Stanmore, said the scheme would need a lot of work.

“It looks simple on paper but there’s actually quite a lot involved in building homes again,” he said.

The council will need to identify suitable sites, draw up blueprints and secure planning permission, the meeting heard.

Lib Dem housing spokeswoman Cllr Lucille Thompson said it might take two years for the first homes to be ready.

She said: “The potential that this council will, in the future, be able to build our own houses again I think is fantastic.”

She added that it was good news for existing tenants as there would be more money for repairs.

Judith Steventon Baker, vice-chair of Winchester tenants group, Tact, welcomed the news.

“It’s a dream for us. If any of it comes off, it will improve things immensely,” she said.

Members heard that one obstacle could be right-to-buy sales. At the moment, 75 per cent of proceeds go to Westminster, making it hard for councils to replace their stock.

However, head of landlord services Richard Botham said there had been “low levels” of right-to-buy sales in recent years.

“I don’t believe these changes will have a significant effect on our business plan,” he told councillors.