Dramatic fall in 'Right to Buy' sales brings Council cash shortfall

Rochdale Council sold just one home through the Right to Buy scheme in the last three months of last year.

Council's across the country raised £934million through right to buy sales in 2007/08 but Rochdale Council, like many others, has suffered a huge drop in receipts. 

The Right to Buy scheme gives eligible council tenants the right to buy their property from the council at a discount.

Right to buy sales were once a major source of income for the council. From October to December 2007 the local authority sold more than 70 homes through the scheme but just a year later that figure has been reduced to a single house sold.

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing reinvests income from right to buy into its decent homes programme, so the fall in receipts has led to a large budget deficit in the programme. The annual repairs budget for council homes has been described as 'woefully inadequate' for maintaing decent homes in the borough.