John Healey doubles council housebuilding cash

With the largest council housebuilding programme for nearly two decades already underway, housing minister John Healey has doubled government cash for new council homes. Mr Healey announced 73 councils covering every region of England will share an extra £122.6m. Councils will match this second round government grant bringing investment in this round to £246m, and total public investment in the programme as a whole to over £500m to build more than 4,000 new council homes for 8,000 people. In a clear break with council houses of the past, Mr Healey also confirmed that many will be new family homes, whilst all will be highly energy efficient and add to the mixed make-up of local neighbourhoods.