Councils failing to replace homes sold off under Right to Buy scheme

Over the past two years Wolverhampton Council sold 457 homes under the scheme, but according to official Government figures only 30 were built as replacements - just 6.56 per cent.

Only one in 10 properties were replaced by Dudley Council, which sold 389 homes to council tenants and built 46 new ones, a net loss of 343 homes across the borough.

The figures also show that in Cannock Chase just three in 10 homes were replaced.

Sandwell fared better, building 167 new homes and selling 344 under the scheme – a replacement rate of almost 50 per cent.

Right to Buy was initially launched by the Conservatives in the 1980s and gives tenants and some housing associations sizeable discounts if they want to buy the council home they are living in.

The scheme has proved controversial in recent years, with many councils warning they did not have the money to replace homes like-for-like.

Today's figures were revealed by Black Country Liberal Democrats through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Rob Quarmby, a spokesman for the Lib Dems in Wolverhampton, said it was disgraceful that all sold off homes were not being replaced.

"Councils in the Black Country have some of the worst records in the country on this issue and that is utterly shameful," he said.

"If councils cannot build council houses what are they doing with their time? These Labour authorities seem happy to take away the safety net and look the other way.

"The Government must reform Right to Buy by allowing local councils to suspend it if they want, and provide enough funding to ensure all homes that are sold are replaced."

However, the Local Government Association (LGA) said councils were being hampered by rules only allowing them to keep a third of all receipts from homes sold under Right to Buy.

LGA housing spokesman Martin Tett, said: “Further complex rules and restrictions mean councils are struggling to rapidly replace them.

“It is vital that councils are able to retain 100 per cent of receipts from any council homes they sell.”

Across England 12,383 council houses were sold under the scheme over the period, with 4,813 (38 per cent) replaced.

And 32 local authorities sold off homes but did not build any new ones. They include Manchester where 526 homes were sold, none of which were replaced.