§ Mr. Allan Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of dwellings disposed of by local authorities to private trusts or developers to date for refurbishment or redevelopment for sale (i) for England as a whole and (ii) for each local authority.
§ Sir George YoungWe are aware of 5,891 dwellings which English local authorities have sold empty to private developers for refurbishment for sale or for private renting, since the Government took office. The list is not necessarily exhaustive, as local authorities are not required to seek the Secretary of State's consent or to inform the Department when they are disposing of empty housing at the best price. In addition, with the Secretary of State's consent, 3,007 dwellings, the great majority of them tenanted, were disposed of by Knowsley to the Stockbridge village trust, and 35 tenanted dwellings by Oldham to William Irwin and Co. Ltd. in the redevelopment of 141 houses at Pennine Meadows, Oldham. Following a vote by residents, a trust is being formed to take over about 5,500 tenanted homes at Thamesmead, after the abolition of the Greater London council.
114W
Number of empty council dwellings disposed of to the private sector Local authority Number Birmingham 83 Burnley 111 Calderdale 96
Local authority Number Halton 38 Knowsley 198 Langbaurgh 177 Lichfield 128 Liverpool 344 Manchester 46 Newcastle 134 North Tyneside 150 Oldham 295 Preston 234 Salford 834 Sandwell 48 Sefton 600 Solihull 184 South Tyneside 150 Stoke on Trent 42 Sunderland 386 Thurrock 90 Tower Hamlets 158 Wandsworth 981 Westminster 10 Wigan 98 Wirral 269 Wolverhampton 7 Total 5,891
§ Mr. Allan Robertsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the capital receipt per dwelling obtained by the local authority under each scheme where blocks of flats or housing estates have been disposed of to private companies for refurbishment or redevelopment for sale with the aid of an urban development grant
§ Sir George YoungLists of projects approved for urban development grant are placed regularly in the Library of the House. For reasons of commercial confidentiality, it is not the practice to disclose details of costs incurred by the developers carrying out individual projects supported by UDG Where such a project includes acquisition by the developer of land or buildings owned by a local authority, it is usual for the property to be acquired at its open market value in its existing condition. In approved UDG schemes for the refurbishment for sale of existing local authority housing, with or without an element of demolition or new build, prices have ranged from £270 per existing dwelling to £2,855, the average being £1,431.