FIGURES show 48 Kirklees households have taken advantage of a scheme to buy their council house at a discounted rate.
Figures from the Department of Communities and Local Government show 48 people bought their council home in 2012 as part of the Right to Buy scheme.
Tenants qualify for large discounts for houses and flats, based on the market rate and their tenancy length. Nationally the maximum discount is £75,000 and in Kirklees the average discount was £36,000.
A council spokeswoman explained: “The discount a tenant receives is a percentage on the market value of their home based on the number of years they have lived at the property as a secure tenant.
“For a house, after five years as a secure tenant the discount is 35% which increases by 1% for each extra complete year up to a limit of 60% or £75,000, whichever is the lower.
“For a flat, after five years as a secure tenant the discount is 50% which increases by 2% for each extra complete year up to a limit of 70% or £75,000, whichever is the lower.”
Kirklees cabinet member for housing, Clr Peter McBride, said at this week’s meeting that the authority’s housing stock could reduce if more people take up the offer. He said they would need to consider other options to house people on the waiting list.
Eleven Yorkshire and the Humber councils took part in the Right to Buy scheme.
In Leeds, the only other West Yorkshire council, 87 homes were sold in 12 months.
Housing Minister Mark Prisk said: “The reinvigorated Right to Buy has opened the door to home ownership for thousands of tenants across the country and I’m delighted to see so many taking up this opportunity.”
Nationally 3,495 council-owned properties have been sold under the scheme since the reinvigorated project was launched in April.
