New Homes Bonus is Getting Southwark Building Again – Simon Hughes
December 6, 2011 6:00 PM
Councils across England received a cash boost as Liberal Democrat Communities Minister Andrew Stunell MP announced funding each authority would receive from the New Homes Bonus.
The money means councils are rewarded for building new homes and bringing empty homes back into use. In Southwark the Coalition has given £5,181,792 delivering 809 new homes and bringing 471 empty homes back in to use.
Commenting, Simon Hughes MP said:
"After 13 years of Labour's failure, the Liberal Democrats are determined to get Britain building again. The New Homes Bonus is doing exactly that.
"New homes are being built in Southwark and we must have all possible empty homes being brought back in to use.
"This is something the Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for and we are now delivering in government."
Commenting further, Simon said:
"These are very pleasing figures, showing that the New Homes Bonus is acting as a spur to get councils building new homes and bringing more empty homes back into use.
"It's a win-win situation for local communities - £430m of extra national funding for frontline services and 159,000 extra homes for local people.
"Labour's top-down approach to building homes just didn't work. It was unrealistic and ineffective, and didn't take into account local needs or wishes.
"Instead the New Homes Bonus is introducing a culture change - making it easier to persuade local people to go for development, and rewarding communities that go for growth."
Notes:
1. Under the New Homes Bonus, Council Tax on each home is matched by the Government for six years, with an extra £350 premium for every affordable home.
2. This year the Coalition Government is paying out £430 million, more than double the first year, delivering a combined total of 159,000 extra homes. Among the 353 councils that stand to benefit are Tower Hamlets (£10m), Birmingham (7.5m), Leeds (£5.4m), Cornwall (£5.1m), Manchester (£4.6m), Bradford (£3.9m), and Sheffield (£3.3m).
3. A national survey also revealed that nearly three quarters of councils thought the cash payments made a significant contribution towards funding local services, and more than four out of ten councils said it was now easier to persuade their local community about the benefits of growth.
4. For more information, contact the Department for Communities and Local Government on 0303 444 1201.
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