News from Sheffield Labour

Clive Betts MP accuses the City Council of letting Sheffield families down

Clive Betts MP (Sheffield Attercliffe) has accused Sheffield City Council of failing to take advantage of Government cash giving opportunities to buy up empty properties from builders to provide new council houses and homes for low-cost home ownership.

Sheffield City Council has bid for and received funding of just £60,000 for just 2 low-cost home ownership flats, whilst places like Bristol have bid for and are getting nearly £12million and Swindon is getting nearly £5million. Even Barnsley is getting £1,627,500 for its schemes.

The figures were released in response to a Parliamentary Question from Clive Betts.

Clive Betts said:

“Immediately the schemes were announced by the Government last September, I wrote to Councillor Paul Scriven, Leader of Sheffield City Council, asking him to ensure that the City Council, together with other local social housing providers, responded quickly and positively to the additional money the Government was offering.

“The Council’s response to this has been appalling. When other cities – smaller than Sheffield – have bid for and received £12million to help people get new homes to buy and rent, Sheffield bids for just £60,000 for 2 flats. Even Barnsley, which is half the size of Sheffield and has less pressing housing problems, has received nearly thirty times as much funding.

“This is disgraceful. Here was a real opportunity to provide additional new homes for rent to Sheffield families and they could be in areas of the city where the Council has the longest waiting-lists. This is a massive let-down for local families.

“It’s also a massive let-down for local builders who want to sell homes and use the income to build more homes, keeping local skilled building-workers in productive employment.”

Other news from Sheffield Labour

• Station Bridge roundtable with Transport Ministers announced - 8 February 2012
• Paul Blomfield MP slams Tory "ambush" of Government Fair Access Director - 8 February 2012
• Angela Smith MP highlights economic problems faced by Barnsley - 7 February 2012