Call for Salisbury key workers to get discount on house prices
A councillor's concerned house prices could result in a shortage of carers
A Wiltshire councillor is calling for more to be done to help the county’s keyworkers get on the property ladder.
Cllr Paul Sample, who represents Salisbury St Edmund’s, has called on the council to look into a new government scheme which would see key workers such as NHS staff and carers get a 30 per cent discount on homes. This same discount would be passed on to future first-time buyers, meaning homes will always be sold below market value.
The scheme launched on June 4, 2021 and is currently being trialled in Bolsover in the midlands.
A spokesman for the government said: “The scheme will support local people who struggle to afford market prices in their area, but want to stay in the communities where they live and work.”
Cllr Sample said: “We’ve got quite a lot of people in central Salisbury who are now in retirement and that means a lot of people will want to remain in their homes until quite late.
“This means we need loads of carers but the problem is that carers are in short supply and can’t afford to live in Salisbury. We’ve got to find a way to manage the market here and create low-cost housing for young people.”
The councillor said he would also like Wiltshire Council to “liberate” its own unoccupied property to convert them into flats and homes for key workers.
“I think we also need to look at brownfield sites and a significant proportion of those needs to be one or two bedroom flats for young people,” he added.
“Almost all of the property you see on RightMove is for over-55s but we’ve almost nothing – by comparison – that could be affordable.
“It’s absolutely hopeless and we’re going to have a serious problem unless the county council takes ownership and comes up with some solutions.
“A 30 per cent discount is massive for a lot young people starting out in care or in nursing. It would make all the difference but we’ve got to have the properties for them in the first place or we’re not going to be able to bridge the gap.”
Cabinet member for housing, Phil Alford said, “First Homes is a government led policy to enable people across the Country to get a life-changing first step onto the property ladder, Wiltshire Council have engaged with Homes England who have been leading on the project in its early stages.
"We will be developing polices to support First Homes to make sure that the product is available to local people wherever possible and also to ensure that it does not adversely impact on the overall affordable housing obligation which aims to meet the requirements of those in greatest housing need.
“Our primary focus is on building high quality new council houses to address the ongoing housing need in Wiltshire, as converting offices does not necessarily result in high quality housing.”