Midland councils get £13m homes handout
Almost £13 million has been awarded to councils in the Black Country and Staffordshire in return for encouraging new homes to be built.
Councils in the region have been given the windfall as a reward for delivering new homes by being flexible with planning permission and for bringing empty properties back into use. The money, which can be spent on providing services the same way as council tax is used, comes at a time of unprecedented public spending cuts.
The New Homes Bonus means that for every new home built, the Government will match the funding in additional council tax.
The figures show Dudley Council helped 613 new homes to be built and brought 70 empty properties back into use. It got £2.4m from the government.
Walsall got £2.6m for providing 411 homes and bringing 60 back into use.
Sandwell got £2.5m for helping deliver 547 new homes but none were brought back into use.
Awarded
Wolverhampton was aw-arded £1.6m for delivering 268 new homes and making sure 12 were back in use.
Cannock Chase got £704,700 for 50 new homes and 54 back in use, while Lichfield was awarded £716,361 for 166 new homes and 38 back in use.
There was £775,029 for South Staffordshire's 222 new homes and overall reduction of seven empty properties
Stafford received £730,975 for 237 new homes but none were brought back into use while Wyre Forest got £753,409 for 163 new homes with a further 63 back in use.
Chris Kelly, MP for Dudley South, said: "It is great news that Dudley will receive £2,467,803 of funding."
