Wednesday 22 October 2014


Stephen Metcalfe MP: Conservatives helping people find an affordable home in Basildon and Thurrock

Local MP Stephen Metcalfe has today welcomed the latest figures which show that Conservatives are delivering new affordable homes for families across Basildon and Thurrock.

In Thurrock, 480 new affordable homes have been delivered since 2010, while in Basildon, the number is even greater, with 780 homes being delivered under the Conservatives.

Thanks to the Conservatives long-term economic plan, over 200,000 new affordable homes have been built across England since 2010; Britain is now building more homes than at any time since 2007. A future Conservative government would deliver 100,000 new homes, available with a 20 per cent discount, exclusively for first-time buyers under the age of 40.

This is in contrast with Labour’s record in government of falling housebuilding and a reduction in the number of social homes to rent by 420,000.

Stephen Metcalfe commented: “We inherited from Labour falling levels of housebuilding which meant families looking for a good quality, affordable home were unable to find one.

Thanks to the Conservatives long-term economic plan Britain is building again with housebuilding now at its highest level since 2007 and 230,000 new homes given planning permission in the last year.

Our Help to Buy schemes alone, which help people to access an affordable mortgage with only a 5 per cent deposit, have already helped over 50,000 families buy their own home, with over 80 per cent of sales going to first time buyers.

A Conservative government after the next election would go further, delivering 100,000 new starter homes, for first-time buyers only, which will be 20 per cent cheaper than the market price, helping more people own their own home.

The only way to continue building the homes Britain needs is to stick to our long-term economic plan. The biggest threat to housebuilding is a Labour government that would bring back top-down planning, imposes more taxes and regulation on the housing market and make it harder for families to buy a home.”