North Lincolnshire Homes’ current and welcome refurbishment of its properties on some of Brigg’s long-established housing estates gives a graphic demonstration of just how many council houses were sold off under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Right to Buy scheme.In some terraces today you will observe only one, or perhaps two, properties with newly-rendered walls, neatly replaced windows and fresh slates on the roof.
It’s easy to find areas where far more have been sold off than are owned by North Lincolnshire Homes, the organisation which took over the housing stock and therefore rendered the term “council house” obsolete in our part of the world.
Brigg Blog has no political agenda. So it would be wrong to think we are engaging in a bit of Tory-bashing.
But perhaps I’m qualified to venture an opinion, having lived on both sides of the fence – brought up in a council house which my father later bought from Glanford Borough Council, under Mrs T’s initiative.
Her view was that An Englishman’s Home is his Castle and that folk should stand on their own two feet, starting with the roof over the family’s heads. She believed there ought not to be a reliance on the state to provide. Her opponents, of course, saw things very differently.
A look round Brigg’s former council house estates today demonstrates that the policy of the Thatcher Government proved very effective and long-lasting, whether or not you happen to agree with selling off council houses to the tenants.
Our pictures were taken in the East Parade/Central Square/West Square part of town, where some of the properties date back to the 1920s and have now received another lease of life.
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Overall, it's a good idea, Scribs, but historically, council tenants could apply their council house long before Maggie Thatch made it part of the political debate.
ReplyDeleteShe got the notion from someone called ?Cutler, I think he was a significant council housing official in London (Remember, MT was the MP for Finchley - just north of the North Circular). Cutler was very keen on the idea of tenants purchasing their houses since the early 60's.
The major criticisms were that the process, it was alleged, was not properly analysed. For example, the more popular type, 3 and 4 bedroomed houses; those in more desirable estates - were quickly bought - leaving a residue of council housing of smaller houses and those in less pleasant areas remaining. In addition, the houses were sold, even before the various discounts (reduced rates depending on the length of tenancy and whether the occupier had recently been in the armed forces)..significantly below market value. This led to economic speculation with tenants selling the houses on almost immediately after purchase. Often private landlord assumed ownership of ex-council housing - often modifying a single house for multi-occupancy - often followed by comparative increases in the overall rent average.
Some of these weaknesses were resolved in the early 2000's....For example, there is now a caveat that the purchaser has to live in and not sell the house for at least 5 years.....and that there are restrictions on a single occupier buying a large 3/4 bedroomed council house.