plan for tackling housing challenges

Sedgefield
Following today's news that interest rates are to rise to 5.75%, thereby piling more pressure on house owners and first time buyers, local Conservative candidate Graham Robb has announced his 3 point plan to tackle the housing challenges in the Sedgefield Constituency.

Graham Robb's 3 points are:

1. Scrap the North East regional assembly's spatial strategy that dictates to each local authority how many new houses they can build. This regional assembly interference stops our councils responding to local demand.

2. Reverse John Prescott's rules which dictate to local authorities what types of houses they can build. We need to trust locally elected representatives to make the decisions that are in the best interests of their local communities.

3. Allow long-term empty houses to be handed over to a local housing association, which will then refurbish them and make them available to first time buyers on a part-buy, part-rent basis. This would allow young people to get on the housing ladder and begin to build some equity in a property.

In launching his plan Graham said:

'Today's interest rate rise will cause many hard working people increased anxiety, to say nothing of the frustration for many young people who cannot get a mortgage in order to make their first step on the housing ladder.'

'The issue of housing provision is a complex one, but I hope my 3 point plan for the Sedgefield constituency is a positive contribution to the debate and, if implemented, I am sure will boost the hopes and aspirations of young people across County Durham and the whole of the North East.'
Sedgefield Conservatives