Housing news and bulletins

Renters’ Rights Bill becomes Law

The Renter’s Rights Bill received royal assent on 27^th October, securing a fairer future for 11 million private renters in England. Landmark legislation will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, ending a proactive that has threatened thousands of renters with homelessness.

The Act will rebalance landlord-tenant relations across England as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

For more details go to: Historic Renters’ Rights Act becomes law - GOV.UK

Phase one of Awaab’s Law comes into effect

From 27^th October 2025, social landlords have new duties under Awaab’s law and must comply within fixed timescales to investigate and make safe:

• all emergency hazards, except those relating to overcrowding
• any significant damp and mould hazards

This is phase one of Awaab’s law, the rules will be implemented in three phases. The landlord does not have to investigate hazards reported before 27 October 2025 until the hazard is reported again or there is a material change.

For more details go to: How Awaab's law changes the rules on hazards in social housing - Shelter England

Private rent in Britian now swallows 44% of the average wage

Average private rents in Great Britian have climbed to record highs, with the amount tenants are being asked to pay in some hotspots rising more than 25% in a year, data shows.

The typical advertised private rent outside London for properties coming on to the market rose to a record £1,385 a calendar month in the third quarter of this year, according to the property website Rightmove.

Despite average earnings rising by 5% compared with last year, the cost of renting was swallowing up 44% of the average wage – up from 40% five years ago.

For more details go to: Private rent in Britain now swallows 44% of the average wage | Renting property | The Guardian

High Court Judge dismisses legal challenge to Places for Everyone joint development plan

Campaigners have been left ‘disappointed’ after their legal challenge against gigantic Greater Manchester housing failed. Activists claimed late-stage changes to the Places for Everyone (PfE) plan by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) ‘erred in law’. A resulting High Court battle found in favour of the Secretary of State and the GMCA. The PfE development plan, adopted 19 months ago, is expected to bring thousands of jobs, new homes, and sustainable growth across the city-region by 2039.

For more details go to: High court battle over Andy Burnham's giant housing plan ends in disappointment for campaigners - Manchester Evening News

Number of homes provided by social housing sector rises to 4.5 million

An increase in the provision of affordable rent and low-cost ownership homes took the social housing sector’s provision of homes to 4.5 million this year, despite a decline in social rent provision.

Returns from all private and local authority registered providers, collected by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and accurate as of 31 March this year, showed a 4,100 decrease in the number of social rent homes.

However, this was outweighed in the overall numbers by an increase of roughly 28,000 in affordable rent homes and around a 13,900 increase in low-cost home ownership homes. This resulted in a net increase of nearly 38,000 “social homes” in England since 2024. 

The decline in social rent homes was entirely the result of local authority provision, with the 7,000-home decline in this area attributed by the RSH to right to buy sales and other schemes.

Meanwhile, private registered providers saw a net gain of nearly 2,900 social rent homes. They also accounted for 83% of the total increase in affordable rent and 98% for low-cost home ownership properties.

For more details go to: RSH: Number of homes provided by social housing sector rises to 4.5m but social rent provision drops | Housing Today

House prices see biggest monthly fall for over 2 years

UK house prices recorded their biggest monthly fall for more than two years in June, according to mortgage lender Nationwide.

Prices fell by 0.8% last month, the sharpest decline since February 2023. Over the year, prices were up 2.1%, although that was the slowest annual growth rate for nearly a year.

For more details go to: House prices see biggest monthly fall for over two years - BBC News

Bank of England rolls out looser mortgage rules to help first-time buyers

The Bank of England has rolled out looser mortgage rules that policymakers hope will help 36,000 more first-time buyers on to the housing ladder each year.

New guidelines announced by the UK’s central bank mean that individual banks and building societies can offer more high loan-to-income (LTI) mortgages, which are equal to, or worth more than, 4.5 times a borrower’s annual earnings.

While high LTI loans are usually considered more risky, the Bank said most banks were not taking advantage of their individual caps, meaning there were fewer available to borrowers than hoped.

For more details go to: Bank of England rolls out looser mortgage rules to help first-time buyers | Bank of England | The Guardian

Social and Affordable Housing Programme

At the Spending Review on 11^th June the Government announced a £39 billion for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36.

The new Social and Affordable Homes Programme will give Registered Providers a decade of certainty over the capital funding they will have available to build new, more ambitious housing development projects. It is integral to delivering the government’s commitment to the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation.

For more details go to: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Renters’ Rights Bill enters Lords report stage

Members of the House of Lords concluded their further examination of the Renters' Rights Bill, in report stage on Tuesday 15 July.

The Renters' Rights Bill seeks to abolish fixed term assured tenancies and assured shorthold tenancies. It will also impose obligations on landlords and others in relation to rented homes and temporary and supported accommodation.

For more details go to: Renters' Rights Bill enters Lords report stage - UK Parliament

Housing Committee launches new inquiry looking at housing condition in social housing and private rented sectors

The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) committee has launched a new inquiry examining housing conditions in England, looking at the prevalence of hazards such as damp and mould in the social housing and private rented sectors, and scrutinising how effective policies to improve housing conditions are likely to be.

Following the Government’s social and affordable housing announcement on Wednesday 2 July, the Committee will examine whether the proposed reforms to the Decent Homes Standard will help improve conditions in social housing and the private rented sector.

In the context of the Government’s target to build 1.5m new homes in this Parliament, the HCLG Committee will be looking at how the Government can ensure new-build homes are of good quality. The cross-party Committee’s inquiry will also be exploring conditions in temporary accommodation.

For more details go to: Housing conditions in England – Housing Committee launches new inquiry looking at social housing & private rented sectors - Committees - UK Parliament

New build homes set for 35-year exemption from Right to Buy

Newly-built social housing in England will be exempt from Right to Buy for 35 years, under government plans to further scale back the policy.

Social tenants will also have to live in their properties for much longer before qualifying for the scheme, which allows them to buy at a discount.

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said it would help local authorities "protect much-needed social housing stock" and build new homes at scale.

For more details go to: Labour plans further Right to Buy restrictions in England - BBC News

New-build homes in Radcliffe

New homes play an important part in regenerating an area and improving quality of life for residents.

Across Radcliffe there are a collection of new housing schemes, either already under construction, about to start, or in the planning. As well as providing much-needed new homes, these developments are transforming brownfield sites that were previously built on but were no longer in use.

Find out about the key schemes that are coming forward to provide that all-important new housing for local people using the link below.

For more details go to: New-build homes in Radcliffe - Bury Council

First-time buyers up by a fifth

The number of first-time buyers rose by almost a fifth last year, according to data from Halifax.

The bank said 2024 saw 341,068 people buy their first properties, up by 19% from 2023.

While the figures are a rebound from 2023's 22% drop, they are not as high as they were in 2022. That year saw 367,870 first-time buyers recorded.

Halifax said that on average, first-time buyers are 33 years old - two years older than they were a decade ago - and that the average deposit paid was £61,090 for a home typically valued at £311,034.

For more details go to: First-time buyers up by a fifth - and older than they were 10 years ago, Halifax says | Money News | Sky News

Social Housing waiting lists to soar

It would take 21 years to clear England's current social housing backlog unless Labour ramp up affordable housebuilding, analysts warn.

England’s social housing waiting list could reach two million within the next 10 years, which campaigners claim would have a “devastating” impact on the poorest.

More than 1.3 million households are currently on a local authority housing register waiting for a social home, government figures showed in December.

For more details go to: Social housing waiting lists could hit two million people in 10 years

Loss of social housing

More people than ever are struggling to afford a secure place to live. Yet not enough social homes are being built. Social housebuilding in England is at its lowest rate in decades.

• In the 1960s, 1.24 million social homes were built compared to 150,000 in the 2010s.
• In 1969, we built more social rent homes than we have built in the last 13 years combined.

For more details go to: Loss of social housing - Shelter England

England’s homeless children

A crisis in temporary accommodation in England is leaving record high numbers of children without a permanent home. Many of these children are living in appalling conditions, with significant impacts to their health and education, says the cross-party Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee in a report published on 3^rd April.

For more details go to: England’s Homeless Children – Government must tackle crisis in temporary accommodation, say MPs - Committees - UK Parliament

Devolution Plans – The introduction of new Strategic Authorities and Reorganisation

On 16 December 2024, Government published the English Devolution White Paper introducing ambitious new government reorganisation plans to shift power from Westminster to Local Authorities by giving Councils the choice to replace their existing two-tier local authority with unitary authorities and to deepen devolution including through the introduction of a new Strategic Authority.

For more details go to: English Devolution White Paper - GOV.UK

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is a key part of the Government’s commitment to rebuild Britain, kickstart economic growth and raise living standards.

The Bill will support delivery of the government’s hugely ambitious Plan for Change milestones of building 1.5 million homes in England and fast-tracking 150 planning decisions on major economic infrastructure projects by the end of this Parliament by speeding up and streamlining planning processes to accelerate the delivery of high-quality infrastructure and housing.

The Bill will also support delivery of the government’s Clean Power 2030 target by ensuring that key clean energy infrastructure is built as quickly as possible.

For more details go to: The Planning and Infrastructure Bill - GOV.UK

Monthly rent soars by £270 since pandemic

Renting a newly let property is on average £270 per month more expensive that at the end of the coronavirus pandemic, according to figures from Zoopla. Rent began to soar in 2021 because of high demand from tenants after lockdowns were lifted and limited numbers of available properties.

Average earnings in the past three years have not kept pace with the steep rise in rents. However, the rate at which rents are rising is now the slowest for three years, as potential tenants face limits on what they can afford.

For more details go to: UK rent soars by average £3,240 since Covid, says Zoopla - BBC News

£1bn funding boost for councils to tackle homelessness

Councils will receive a cash injection of nearly £1bn in 2025 to tackle homelessness as 160,000 children spent Christmas without a regular home. The funding will help councils intervene early to stop households becoming homeless, including through mediation with landlords to prevent eviction. MHCLG said the money can also be used on services that prioritise access to permanent social housing for people with a history of repeat homelessness and drug and alcohol abuse.

Great Manchester’s trailblazing work to prevent and end homelessness will be given a £47m boost.

For more details go to: Largest ever cash boost to turn the tide on homelessness - GOV.UK

Boost to bed spaces in a Bed Every Night accommodation

Greater Manchester is setting out a new package of support for people sleeping rough this winter as new figures show sustained pressure on local services. GMCA is announcing £500,000 for councils across the city-region, which is match funded by a further £500,000 from the Government. The money will be spread across all 10 boroughs to support the vital work of local services helping people off the streets and into accommodation this winter. Councils will be able to direct the funding to frontline priorities, including emergency shelters during severe weather, and to support pathways into A Bed Every Night accommodation.

For more details go to: New funding for local authorities and boost to bed spaces as Greater Manchester faces up to winter homelessness challenges - Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Planning overhaul to reach 1.5 million new homes

Hard working families locked out of owning their own home for far too long will benefit from government’s landmark planning changes. Under the plans, councils will be told they must play their part to meet housing need by reaching a new ambitious combined target of 370,000 homes a year. In a major boost for communities across the country, the government is today turbocharging growth with new, mandatory targets for councils to ramp up housebuilding across the country. The planning overhaul is set to tackle the chronic housing crisis once and for all and will mean hard graft at work will be rewarded with security at home.

For more details go to: Planning overhaul to reach 1.5 million new homes - GOV.UK

Housing allocations – local connection exemption

The government has now written to councils to remind them they should prioritise veterans, care leavers and domestic abuse survivors for social housing.

In a joint release, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Ministry of Defence said, “regulations will be brought forward in due course” and that the respective ministers will be hosting roundtables with the sector to explore the details of these changes.

MHCLG said: “While not mandatory, the vast majority of councils have a local connection or residency test in place to determine who can qualify for social housing. These changes will mean that where such requirements are in place, veterans are not unfairly penalised.

“Other groups who can have difficulty demonstrating a local connection – care leavers and domestic abuse victims – will also be exempt from the rule.

For more details go to: Inside Housing - News - Government plans to exempt veterans, young care leavers and victims of domestic abuse from local connection test

Greater Manchester launches Housing First Unit.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and the leaders of the city-region’s ten local authorities confirmed the launch of a new Housing First Unit to tackle the roots of the housing crisis by:

• Increasing housing supply – Ensuring that Greater Manchester builds the new homes that our city-region needs, including affordable homes and single-occupancy accommodation. With the right support, Greater Manchester is ready to deliver 75,000 new homes in the current parliament.
• Driving up housing standards – Protecting renters through the UK’s first Good Landlord Charter and acting against rogue landlords by empowering residents to request a Property Check followed up by enforcement action where necessary.
• Supporting Greater Manchester residents – With more devolved powers and funding, we can help prevent homelessness by transforming the way we support residents with education, skills, and health and wellbeing services.

Housing First is part of the GMCA’s pioneering approach to delivering public services and tackling the problems that are hampering wellbeing and economic growth. It is based on the philosophy that good health, good education, and good jobs cannot come without a good, permanent home.

For more details go to: Greater Manchester launches pioneering Housing First Unit as new data shows true cost of not tackling the housing crisis - Greater Manchester Combined Authority (greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk)

Mortgages at six times’ income for first-time buyers

Mortgage lenders' attempts to lure in first-time buyers have stepped up with the UK's biggest building society allowing some to borrow more. The Nationwide said that from September, new borrowers could request a mortgage up to six times their income with a 5% deposit. But it would only be available for those taking out a five or 10-year fixed-rate deal.

While the standard level of borrowing for first-time buyers is a loan of up to 4.5 times' income, the Nationwide has allowed some to borrow 5.5 times - a move followed by some other major providers.

Now, it will step that level up to six times - but only among first-time buyers with an individual income of at least £30,000 a year, or a couple earning at least £50,000 a year.

For more details go to: Nationwide to launch mortgages at six times' income for first-time buyers - BBC News

Right to buy reform

The government will consult on reform of the right to buy, and has given councils greater flexibility when using right to buy receipts, the deputy prime minister has announced.

Angela Rayner also confirmed that £450m of the local authority housing fund would be given to councils to build 2,000 new homes.

Labour pledged to build 1.5 million new homes over the course of the next parliament as part of its manifesto and has outlined changes to the national planning policy framework (NPPF) to ensure the government meets its target.

Ms Rayner announced a "council house revolution" which she said was "vital" to reaching its housing target and that a large amount of affordable housing are likely to be completed faster".

For more details go to: Right to buy reform on cards as Rayner unveils housing plans | Local Government Chronicle (LGC) (lgcplus.com)

Average House prices

The average house price in Bury is fourth highest in Greater Manchester. Trafford has the highest average with detached properties being 55% more expensive than Bury. Wigan is the cheapest authority to live in Greater Manchester.

New developments in Bury

The brownfield site at Seedfield, off Walmersley Road, will soon host 84 new homes for rent and ownership. The council has worked with developers Hive Homes to bring the plan to fruition, with £1 million of Brownfield Housing Fund Grant from the GMCA to remediate the land.

For more details go to: Derelict site cleared to make way for housing | Bury Council (mynewsdesk.com)

Social housing providers Bolton at Home are set to build a three-storey apartment block along with bungalows at the former Millwood School and its grounds on Fletcher Fold Road in Bury.

Bolton at Home plan an apartment building of 33 one-bed units with and six two-bed homes with a communal room at ground floor.

For more details go to: Apartments for former Bury school site would ‘free up family homes’ | Bury Times

Guidance on how Bury Council wants to see sites at Elton Reservoir and Walshaw developed is to be consulted on in October. To advise on what the Elton Reservoir and Walshaw masterplans should cover, the council has produced a draft Supplementary Planning Document which was agreed by the council’s cabinet. There will now be a six-week consultation period starting in mid-October.

For more details go to: Planning guidance for Places for Everyone sites | Bury Council (mynewsdesk.com)

6 Things we learned from the King’s Speech 2024

The top six housing measures in the 2024 King’s Speech.

Planning reform - Planning reform to make it faster and cheaper to build houses is seen as essential to achieve Sir Keir’s goal of economic growth and hit his hefty target of 1.5 million new homes by the end of the parliament.

A new Planning and Infrastructure Bill will “modernise planning committees” and boost capacity in local authorities, while rules around compulsory purchase of land will be reformed to ensure compensation is “fair but not excessive”.

In other words, compensation for landowners will be lowered – a measure that could make council and social housing developments more viable.

No Fault evictions banned at last – a new Renters’ Rights Bill will finally ban Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and introduce “new, clear and expanded possession grounds” to allow landlords to reclaim property when necessary.

A private sector ombudsman and expanded Awaab’s Law – This will provide “quicker, cheaper resolution when there are disputes” between private landlords and tenants, and a “fair, impartial and binding resolution” while reducing the need to go to court.

A ban on new leasehold flats – Labour has big plans for leasehold reform. It will publish a draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill that will aim to provide homeowners with greater rights and powers over their homes. Including reinvigorating commonholds, tackling existing ground rents and enacting remaining Law Commission recommendations.

Devolution – Regions will be given more powers on strategic planning as well as transport and skills through an English Devolution Bill. Local leaders will be given new duties to produce ‘growth plans’ for their areas.

Duty of candour – this bill will place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities where their failure in the provision and delivery of public services becomes the subject of public investigation. It is aimed at improving transparency and reducing a culture of defensiveness in the public sector, which lead to the kind of cover ups in public sector organisations that took place during the Grenfell Inquiry, the Hillsborough stadium disaster and the infected blood inquiry.

For more details go to: Inside Housing - Insight - 6 things we learned from the King’s Speech 2024

Third of private renters struggling to afford rent

Over a third of private renters are finding it difficult to afford their rent, new research has revealed.

The TDS Charitable Foundation’s survey of 2,000 private renters in March found that 35% of renters were finding it difficult or very difficult to afford their rent, with the proportion increasing to 56% for those not in work due to long-term sickness or disability. For students, 45% were struggling to afford their rent and 43% of those were in receipt of benefits.

The overall figure has risen from 32% last year.

Whilst the research found that average rents had increased by 7% over the last year, this masked a wide disparity according to location. Average rents increased by 11% for those renting in small towns, whilst they fell by 0.3% for those tenants living in suburbs.

Most tenants are also struggling to afford household essentials, with 55% saying they have had to cut back on expenses, such as food, heating, and clothing. This increased to 72% amongst single parent renters and 62% for all rented households with children living in them.

For more details go to: Third of private renters struggling to afford rent, research - HQN (hqnetwork.co.uk)

Greater Manchester mayor plans 10,000 new council homes by 2028 and Right to Buy ‘suspension’

The mayor of Greater Manchester has announced that he plans to build 10,000 new council homes in the city by 2028 and will ask for powers from government to suspend Right to Buy sales on new council homes.

Andy Burnham, said: “Greater Manchester can’t achieve its full potential as long as it remains in the grip of a housing crisis. That is why I am setting a new ambition for the city-region to end it within a decade.

“Ten thousand new council homes will help to do that as long as stock can be retained. That’s why we’re calling for the suspension of Right to Buy. Everyone deserves to live in a good, safe home and by building new council homes, and suspending the Right to Buy on them, we can give our councils the breathing space they desperately need to replenish their stock, so that all of those waiting in temporary accommodation or on the housing registers have the chance to access good homes.”

For more details go to: Greater Manchester Combined Authority

£115m investment in affordable, green homes on brownfield sites across Greater Manchester

House building in Greater Manchester is set to be further boosted by the next phase of a £150m Brownfield Housing Fund, which is set to deliver more than 7,800 new homes across the city-region.

• £115m set to be invested in developing 92 brownfield sites across Greater Manchester
• Leaders asked to approve £71.8m in year two and up to £57.5m in year three, unlocking over 7,800 new homes across all ten metropolitan boroughs
• This is the second tranche of the £150m Brownfield Housing Fund, announced as part of the 2023 trailblazer devolution deal
• Over half of homes would be affordable and 79% of schemes are set to be built to Future Homes Standard

For more details go to: Greater Manchester Combined Authority

High mortgage rates pricing out buyers

High mortgage rates mean affordability is still “stretched” for many home buyers, according to the Nationwide.

The building society said that while earnings had been rising faster than house prices in recent years, this had not been enough to offset the impact of more expensive mortgages.

Nationwide have said that about three million households are set to see their mortgage payments rise in the next two years. These are homeowners who arranged mortgage deals before the Bank started to lift rates in 2021. These deals are now expiring, and the bank said the majority will finish before the end of 2026. For the typical household looking for a new deal, monthly mortgage repayments are forecast to increase by about £180, or about 28%.

For more details go to: High mortgage rates pricing out buyers, says Nationwide - BBC News

New homeless households outnumber new social homes by six to one

National Housing Federation analysis of the latest affordable housing figures and homelessness statistics has found that for every new social home built in England last year (2022/23), six households were accepted as homeless by their local council.

Government figures show that 52,800 households were accepted by their local council as homeless last year (2022/23) including 30,300 families with children – this equates to 145 households and 88 families every day. There was a net total of 9,561 additional social rent homes last year, including acquisitions, a figure that has fallen by a staggering 76% since 2010. Social rented homes are typically 50% of market rents and the only homes affordable to homeless families.

For more details go to: National Housing Federation - New homeless households outnumber new social homes by six to one.

Renters Reform Bill

The implementation of the Renters Reform Bill is aimed at improving the rental system for both the 11 million private renters and the 2.3 million landlords in England.

Key changes are:

• Abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions: to transition towards a simplified tenancy structure where all assured tenancies become periodic.
• More comprehensive possession grounds: landlords will retain the ability to reclaim their property under valid circumstances, and the repossession processes will be streamlined in cases where tenants are at fault.
• Private rented sector Ombudsman: a new impartial and binding resolution platform to address any issues, designed to be quicker, more cost effective and less adversarial than the court system.
• Privately Rented Property Portal: landlords, tenants and councils will gain access to a user-friendly platform with various resources, including legal obligations, tenancy information and areas of potential enforcement.
• Protection against backdoor eviction: tenants can appeal excessive rent hikes, but landlords can still increase rents with review from an independent tribunal.
• Right to request a pet: landlords must consider and reasonably evaluate tenant requests to have pets in the property but can request pet insurances to cover potential damages.
• Extending decent homes standard to PRS: Introduction of minimum housing standards requiring privately rented homes to meet the decent home standard.
• Outlawing blanket ban on families and tenants on benefits: landlords and letting agents will be banned from discriminating against these groups and will not be able to specify “No DSS” in adverts.
• New enforcement duties and powers to Councils: Strengthen local council’s enforcement power and introduce a new requirement for councils to report on enforcement activity – to help target criminal landlords.

For more information on the Renters (reform) Bill go to: Guide to the Renters (Reform) Bill - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Places for Everyone

Places for Everyone (PfE) is a long-term plan of nine Greater Manchester districts for jobs, new homes and sustainable growth.

The plan is a joint development plan of the nine districts which will determine the kind of development that takes place in their boroughs, maximising the use of brownfield land and urban spaces while protecting green belt land from the risk of unplanned development.

Bury site allocations, all sites to deliver 25% affordable housing:

• Heywood / Pilsworth – 200 homes at Castle Road.
• Simister / Bowlee – 1,350 homes.
• Elton reservoir – 3,500 homes total (60% affordable or social rented and 40% affordable home ownership).
• Seedfield – 140 homes.
• Walshaw – 1,250 homes (60% affordable or social rented and 40% affordable home ownership).

The Inspectors’ Report was received on 14 February 2024 and this marked the end of the examination into the Plan. The Inspectors conclude that, subject to the main modifications recommended, the Places for Everyone is considered to be sound and legally compliant.

All nine Councils have now considered the Inspectors’ recommendations and have adopted PfE with effect from 21 March 2024. This means that the Plan is now part of the statutory development plan for each of the nine PfE authorities and has full weight in the determination of planning applications.

For more information go to: Places for Everyone - Bury Council.

Delivering New Homes on Council Owned Brownfield Land

Bury Council is committed to achieving material housing outcomes through land disposal activity to ensure its land is used for the benefit of the borough. The Council has worked collaboratively with Homes England and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to ensure development is supported, where necessary, by grant funding to address viability concerns prior to disposal.

Considerable progress has been made with the delivery of the Council’s Land Disposal Programme. The sites listed in the table below have the potential to deliver over 1,000 new homes (both market and affordable) and will offer a wide range of house types and tenures, including specialist accommodation for older people and those with additional support needs.

Local Housing Allowance

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is used to calculate the maximum amount people renting from a private landlord can claim in housing benefit or universal credit. LHA will increase on 1 April 2024 for the first time since 31 March 2020.

 

House Prices and Mortgage Rates

The housing market in 2023 performed better than many predicted, with lower-than-expected falls in asking prices, and good levels of demand from home buyers for the right-priced homes. However, rising mortgage and interest rates have stretched the affordability of many people planning to move.

The housing market is continuing to return to more normal levels of activity following the frenetic post-pandemic period. It is predicted that average new seller prices will be 1% lower nationally by the end of 2024, as competition increases among new sellers to find a buyer.

The table below shows that Bury had the fourth highest average house prices in Greater Manchester during 2023:

Average mortgage rates have fallen steadily since July 2023, providing home-movers with much more stability and certainty over the type and cost of mortgage offer they are likely to receive, compared with the more volatile mortgage market of a year ago. According to Rightmove, the average two-year fixed mortgage rate is currently 5.4%, while the average five-year fixed rate is 5.07%.

For more information on what will happen to house prices in 2024 go to: What will happen to house prices in 2024? | Property blog (rightmove.co.uk).

Brownfield first - our plan for new houses and regeneration

Plans have recently been unveiled to develop brownfield sites and bring much-needed homes and regeneration across Bury.

Our major projects team is co-ordinating a borough-wide brownfield housing delivery programme that prioritises previously developed land suitable for residential development. This allows us to match local housing needs with investment opportunities and accelerate the development of new local homes.

Nearly 100 acres of land has been identified which, subject to planning permission and viability, could accommodate thousands of new homes.

Read the full article about the Brownfield first - our plan for new houses and regeneration on My Newsdesk.

Family and affordable homes at the heart of Radcliffe Regeneration

Plans are being drawn up to build 89 new family homes on a brownfield site in Radcliffe as part of the town's regeneration.

Bury Council is set to approve the sale of land at School Street, formerly the site of a grammar school, to North West housebuilder Hive Homes. The development is proposed to be 89 family homes, with 22 of them affordable. It is expected that these homes will be a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership.

Read the full article about the family and affordable homes at the heart of Radcliffe regeneration on My Newsdesk.

Prioritising bringing empty properties back into use

As another sustainable approach to increasing affordable housing in the borough, we are also prioritising bringing empty properties back into use.

A new Empty Property Strategy is in development, and we have recently employed a dedicated Empty Homes Officer to help increase the supply of homes for occupation across the borough. Our new Empty Homes Officer will work with our Private Sector Enforcement Team who deal with complaints and take a pro-active approach to bringing empty properties back into use.

The review of our Empty Property Strategy will also allow us to better understand the empty property situation across the borough and what needs to be done to provide the right opportunities for owners to bring their properties back into use.

More information is available on our empty homes section.