City still 'picking up the pieces' of Thatcher era

FORMER LEADER SAYS EX-PM'S POLICY WAS BLOW TO HOUSING

- By JOE LOCKER Local democracy reporter

A FORMER city council leader says Nottingham is still “picking up the pieces” of Margaret Thatcher's Right To Buy policy after the housing waiting list in the city hit 11,000 people.

Nottingham City Council says the supply of council housing is falling significantly short of demand.

Councillors fear the bidding process for a home is akin to “going through a tunnel with a blindfold on”.

Councillor David Mellen (Lab), Dales ward councillor and former city council leader, says the authority has been “picking up the pieces” of former Conservative Prime Minister Mrs Thatcher's policy, under which the Labour-led authority has now sold more than 24,000 homes since the early 1980s - almost as many as its entire current stock.

It gave council house tenants the ability to buy their homes at a discount, which currently stands at a maximum of 70% depending on length of tenancy.