400 council homes on the way to Wolverhampton
Four hundred council homes are to be built across Wolverhampton over the next four years, it has been announced.
The £56 million plan will be launched as soon as the cash becomes available. The council is already looking to identify potential locations so that land is 'site-ready.'
Councillor Peter Bilson, deputy leader and cabinet member for city assets, said that savings achieved on the review of the council's business plan and other changes had released sufficient money to make the building initiative possible.
"We're building homes because that's what the Labour Party believes in. It's good news for the people of Wolverhampton," he said.
The restructure of the business plan was prompted by the Government's decision that all council house rents are to be cut by one per cent, leaving Wolverhampton with a £622m shortfall in income.
It means that, while rents will come down, council tenants face paying more for central heating, service charges and garage rents.
Councillor Bilson said the government's announcement of a rent cut was 'a surprise', one which would have a 'significant impact' on the city's finances, but it was a situation they had been 'already prepared to look at in detail.' He said the council had 'redirected' some of its priorities.
The new homes will be in addition to the 65 houses currently being built in existing council projects.
The 400 homes scheme and rent reductions were both approved at Wednesday's(27th) full council meeting. Details of the rent cuts will be posted to the council's 22,600 tenants in the next few weeks. The changes are due to come into effect on April 4.
