Shropshire's house building industry still recovering
Shropshire's house building sector is continuing to recover according to a leading councillor, who has hailed the number of homes completed in the region.
Councillor Mal Price, Shropshire Council's cabinet member responsible for housing, revealed that the number of houses built in the previous financial year had nearly doubled from the 2011/12 figure.
He said that the increase, and the "gradual recovery in the construction industry" was partly down to banks being more prepared to lend money.
He said: "The house building sector in Shropshire continues to recover with 1,347 completions for 2015/16 compared with a low of 724 in 2011/12. This is due to a number of factors including the gradual recovery in the construction industry, lenders being more prepared to lend and progress on some of Shropshire's larger housing sites identified and brought forward through the development of the local plan."
Councillor Price said that the authority would be doing what it can to continue encouraging developers to proceed with sites which have stalled, or are considered "unviable", including potentially renegotiating agreements made as part of the planning process.
He said: "Though encouraging, the council recognises the wider economic benefits of helping stalled or unviable sites to come forward and has a continuing proactive and pragmatic approach to renegotiating obligations where viability issues are apparent.
"The council helps mitigate one of the principal viability issues by having an annually adjusted affordable housing target rate – 10 per cent, 15 per cent and 20 per cent– a rate that reflects the current economic difficulties for developers and landowners and responds to the housing markets' movement."
Councillor Price said that the number of completions is something the Government recognise with funding through its New Homes Bonus – the figures show that Shropshire was in the top 28 English councils for the number of homes completed.
He also praised the council's workers for their efforts on a scheme to provide a local needs scheme for single homes.
He said: "
These homes have a restricted value, are secured for the community in perpetuity and fundamentally contribute to the continued sustainability of rural communities."
