£3.8 million housing boost for Warrington

WARRINGTON is to receive a £3.8 million bonus next year for enabling more new homes to be built in the borough, the government has announced.
The £3,878,344 hand-out is part of a £14,687,454 new homes bonus for Cheshire as a whole, which will enable more than 8,000 new homes to be built.
Across England, councils have received more than £2 billion through the New Homes Bonus since it was set up in 2011/12 for helping to provide 550,000 more homes.
The allocation for the coming year will mean Warrington has received £8,828,445 over a four year period. The money will help provide new homes and conversions, bring empty homes back into use and include affordable homes.
Housing minister Kris Hopkins says the payments are being made in recognition of councils’ contribution to building new homes. Official figures from the Official for National Statistics show that housing construction has risen to its highest levels since 2007.
Under the New Homes Bonus, councils have been rewarded for helping to provide 550,000 newly-built homes and conversions and bringing 93,000 empty homes back into use. This total includes more than 160,000 affordable homes.
Mr Hopkins said these payments are finally giving communities a reason to say yes to new sustainable development – with councils free to spend the money as they see fit to benefit the local area, including freezing council tax.
He added: “Top-down Regional Strategies and eco-towns failed hardworking families who aspired to own their own home, and built nothing but resentment.
“In stark contrast, councils have received over £2 billion for their part in getting Britain building, and leading to housing construction reaching its highest levels for seven years.
“And they are free to spend the money any way they like to benefit their local communities – whether that’s supporting frontline services, providing new facilities or freezing council tax.”
Communities minister Stephen Williams also welcomed the number of empty homes being brought back into productive use.
He said: “The government is doing everything possible to tackle the problem of empty homes and urban blight, and the New Homes Bonus is a shot in the arm for councils tackling the problem of abandoned homes and urban blight locally.
“The number of long term empty homes has already fallen by 93,000 and we are now going further, giving councils the incentive to bring people, shops and jobs back to once abandoned areas, and to provide extra affordable homes we so badly need.”