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Tenants 'must get right to move' Tenants 'must get right to move'
(about 15 hours later)
"Well-behaved" council tenants should have the right to move around England without losing their accommodation, the Conservatives say."Well-behaved" council tenants should have the right to move around England without losing their accommodation, the Conservatives say.
The party's housing report says local authorities should be compelled to buy homes in other areas, in which to re-house people who relocate. The party's housing report says local authorities should be compelled to buy homes in other areas if people re-locate for work or family reasons.
The Tories say this will allow people to look for work elsewhere without the fear of losing their home. Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps said this would promote "opportunity and social mobility".
Ministers said the proposals were "old ideas re-hashed to sound new". But Labour said the proposals were "old ideas re-hashed to sound new".
The "right to move" scheme would be piloted in five areas of England under a Conservative government.The "right to move" scheme would be piloted in five areas of England under a Conservative government.
'Move to the seaside' 'Vicious spiral'
The party's housing "green paper" says tenants will get the "right to demand that their landlord sell their current property and use the proceeds, minus transaction costs, to buy another property of their choice - anywhere in England". The Tories say this will allow people to look for work elsewhere without the fear of losing their home.
The party is also proposing the setting up of "local housing trusts", allowing communities to push for more homes to be built where there is a pressing need.
Conservative leader David Cameron said: "Britain's housing market has been stuck in a vicious spiral of boom and bust."
[The plans] sit next to another Tory pledge - to slash £800m from the budget for investing in housing Iain WrightHousing minister
He added: "Houses are not really like every other investment. While houses may have a price, homes have a value.
"We need to kick our addiction to house price volatility and concentrate on making sure we build enough homes so that every community can meet its housing needs."
Mr Shapps said: "We need social housing that promotes opportunity and social mobility, rather than reinforcing welfare dependency.
"And we need a compassionate housing policy that recognises the need to house the vulnerable and tackle the soaring waiting lists under Labour."
'Restrictions'
The party's housing "green paper" says council tenants will get the "right to demand that their landlord sell their current property and use the proceeds, minus transaction costs, to buy another property of their choice - anywhere in England".
It adds that there will be "some restrictions", such as preventing those people who move from expensive to cheap areas taking on properties with many more bedrooms.It adds that there will be "some restrictions", such as preventing those people who move from expensive to cheap areas taking on properties with many more bedrooms.
Tenants would also have to show they had behaved well for five years to qualify.Tenants would also have to show they had behaved well for five years to qualify.
[The plans] sit next to another Tory pledge - to slash £800m from the budget for investing in housing Iain WrightHousing minister
The document goes on: "But this will still allow tenants to use the right to move to convert a city centre flat into a house with a garden in the suburbs, or to move to the seaside, or to a small village at the other end of the country."The document goes on: "But this will still allow tenants to use the right to move to convert a city centre flat into a house with a garden in the suburbs, or to move to the seaside, or to a small village at the other end of the country."
The Conservatives say the scheme would allow people to move more easily to find work.The Conservatives say the scheme would allow people to move more easily to find work.
The report adds: "As well as being enormously empowering, we believe that giving social tenants the right to move will have a number of related benefits.The report adds: "As well as being enormously empowering, we believe that giving social tenants the right to move will have a number of related benefits.
"It could help social tenants move near jobs, or near an elderly relative who needs care, or near grandparents to help with childcare.""It could help social tenants move near jobs, or near an elderly relative who needs care, or near grandparents to help with childcare."
It will also lead to "greater variation" in the mix of tenants and a "reduction in social polarisation", it says.It will also lead to "greater variation" in the mix of tenants and a "reduction in social polarisation", it says.
The Conservatives add that, if the scheme is successful, it could be extended to the whole of Britain, after discussions in the Welsh Assembly and and Scottish Parliament.The Conservatives add that, if the scheme is successful, it could be extended to the whole of Britain, after discussions in the Welsh Assembly and and Scottish Parliament.
But housing minister Iain Wright said the proposals were "old ideas re-hashed to sound new" and accused the Tories of providing no details of how much the plans would cost or how they would be delivered.But housing minister Iain Wright said the proposals were "old ideas re-hashed to sound new" and accused the Tories of providing no details of how much the plans would cost or how they would be delivered.
"More importantly though they sit next to another Tory pledge - to slash £800m from the budget for investing in housing - which could mean for example, that 10,000 fewer new homes for social rent could be built," he said."More importantly though they sit next to another Tory pledge - to slash £800m from the budget for investing in housing - which could mean for example, that 10,000 fewer new homes for social rent could be built," he said.
Mr Wright also attacked the Conservative Party's record on providing social housing, adding that when in power the Tories "slashed capital spending on housing in half" and left "a generation of tenants... condemned to inadequate housing".Mr Wright also attacked the Conservative Party's record on providing social housing, adding that when in power the Tories "slashed capital spending on housing in half" and left "a generation of tenants... condemned to inadequate housing".