Last week Rebecca Pow MP had an urgent meeting with Housing Minister Brandon Lewis MP after a Wellington housing association, Falcon Rural Housing, raised serious concerns about the proposed changes to the Right to Buy and the impact this could have on their housing stock.

Falcon Rural Housing, as well as other rural housing associations in Taunton Deane, have contacted Rebecca with a number of unanswered questions regarding the extension of the Right to Buy to housing association tenants. Primarily, they were concerned that the proposed

Changes would significantly reduce the number of properties available to those in need, putting the work they undertake at serious risk.

Although the Government has pledged that every house sold will be replaced on a ‘one-for-one’ basis this is not always practical in rural areas due to a lack of appropriate land and the high cost of delivering small scale developments. A reduction in assets would also have a significant impact on any future expansion as in order to build further homes associations often borrow against the property and income that they already have.

Rebecca said,

“Rural Housing associations are absolutely vital to so many communities in Taunton Deane and I praise the work of Falcon Rural Housing, and others like it, in providing a quality service that is satisfy a particular need.

I fully understand the apprehensions of housing associations surrounding the Right to Buy and so I immediately raised their concerns with the Housing Minister. I explained that housing associations in rural areas would be in a jeopardised should their concerns not be catered for in the upcoming Housing Bill. I was pleased to receive reassurance for the Minister that there concerns were being heeded. I am anxious to keep up pressure in this respect as life in the rural parts of Taunton Deane will be severely impeded if the rural housing associations were to reduce their provisions for affordable housing.”