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Welsh Tories' housing plans

Welsh Conservatives set out plans to boost the numbers of affordable homes, including a revitalised right-to-buy scheme.

Live updates

Lib Dems criticise 'half-baked' Tory housing ideas

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised proposals unveiled by the Welsh Conservatives to boost the supply of affordable housing. Housing spokesperson Peter Black described the plans as 'half-baked policy ideas' and urged the Tories to 'take themselves a bit more seriously.'

The most puzzling aspect of the policy is the proposal to include a "one-for-one" initiative with a new home built for every home sold. It is absurd that this is being proposed by the one party that actually wants to cut the housing budget. There is no indication how their policy will be paid for, where the new homes will be built and over what timescale.

It’s equally embarrassing that the Welsh Tories are promoting this as a policy for all of Wales and yet only eleven local councils still have council housing stock. Their 'revamped Right to Buy' policy can only therefore apply in half the country.

Whether it’s charging people for using the NHS, bringing back grammar schools, or selling off our social housing stock, the Welsh Tories time and time again show that their views are both out-dated and completely out of touch.

– Peter Black AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat

Labour slam 'poorly thought-out' Tory housing plans

Labour has criticised proposals unveiled by the Welsh Conservatives aimed at boosting affordable housing. The plans include revitalising the right-to-buy scheme but insisting that a new home is built for each one sold to a tenant. Click here to read more.

Labour AM Mike Hedges criticised the Welsh Conservatives for 'astonishing nerve' in bringing forward 'poorly thought-out housing proposals.' He said:

Whilst a Welsh Labour Government are always open to ideas to improve housing, no matter how unlikely the source, there are simply not enough details in these proposals to take them seriously. The fact that there is scant or no attention paid to the quality of homes, tenants, homelessness or social housing in these proposals show how out of touch the Tories have become and how distant they are to the results of their austerity politics in Westminster.

Their proposed reform of Right to Buy suggests spending all the receipts on housing on a one to one basis – if you offer tenants the opportunity to buy their homes at a discount, then will the receipt to enough to build a replacement property – where would any additional resources come from to deliver a one for one initiative?

– Mike Hedges AM, Labour

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  1. Adrian Masters

Welsh Conservatives and the politics of housing

The Welsh Conservative housing policy launch is the latest in a series of eye-catching ideas designed to establish the party in Wales as one with plenty of ideas and one very clearly on the centre-right of the political spectrum.

Its right to buy proposal will be the one to raise most eyebrows. The policy has been widely seen as one which has caused housing shortages rather than helped them and the Welsh Government battled the UK Government to win the power to suspend it in areas of housing pressure.

The Tories, however, see it as 'empowering' and believe they've dealt with the downside by linking the proceeds with new housebuilding. It seems unlikely the Welsh Government will pick up any of these ideas though: it has its own Housing Plan and a Housing Bill due to be introduced to the Assembly.

'Right to buy' central to housing boost say Tories

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies says a revitalised right-to-buy scheme would help make more affordable houses available to would-be homeowners. But he said it should be changed so that a new home should be built with the proceeds of every sale to tenants.

People who have been social housing tenants for more than five years have the right to buy their homes and get a discount of up to £16,000 on the value depending on how long they've lived in it.

Councils can apply to the Welsh Government to suspend the right to buy for up to five years in areas where there is a shortage of affordable housing.

Welsh Tories set out housing plans

Welsh Conservatives' housing policy document Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

Welsh Conservatives are to set out a series of proposals to boost the number of affordable homes available in Wales. They accuse the Welsh Government of not doing enough to make it easier to build and to buy affordable homes.

The document called 'A Vision for Welsh Housing' will be launched at a construction site in Caerphilly.

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