The Right to Buy scheme is a policy in the United Kingdom, with the exception of Scotland since 1 August 2016 and Wales from 26 January 2019, which gives secure tenants of councils and some housing associations the legal right to buy, at a large discount, the council house they are living in. There is also a Right to Acquire for assured tenants of housing association dwellings built with public subsidy after 1997, at a smaller discount. By 1997, over 1,700,000 dwellings in the UK had been sold under the scheme since its introduction in 1980, with the scheme being cited as one of the major factors in the drastic reduction in the amount of social housing in the UK , which has fallen from nearly 6.5 million units in 1979 to roughly 2 million units in 2017, while also being credited as the main driver of the 15% rise in home ownership, which rose from 55% of householders in 1979 to a peak of 71% in 2003; this figure has declined in England since the late 2000s to 63% in 2017.
49-620: Grenfell Tower is a derelict 24-storey residential tower block in North Kensington in London, England. The tower was completed in 1974 as part of the first phase of the Lancaster West Estate . Most of the tower was destroyed in a severe fire on 14 June 2017 . The building's top 20 storeys consisted of 120 flats, with six per floor – two flats with one bedroom each and four flats with two bedrooms each – with
98-512: A Right to Buy conveyance should take place was reduced from 12 months to 3 months. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) now governed and regulated most types of mortgage selling. The FCA's governance of Right to Buy purchases was partly to solve the widespread problem of Right to Buy mis-selling from brokers and solicitors alike. They all had their own agendas, and many were charging excessive fees that were then taken out of their client's discount. The above actions that have been taken coupled with
147-477: A blog in which it highlighted major safety problems. In the four years preceding the fire, they published ten warnings criticising fire safety and maintenance practices at Grenfell Tower. Prior to a fire, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and central UK government bodies "knew, or ought to have known", that their management of the tower was breaching the rights to life, and to adequate housing, of
196-406: A cost of £2.6 million. A fire broke out on 14 June 2017, which killed 72 of Grenfell's residents. Emergency services received the first report of the fire at 00:54 local time . It burned for around 24 hours. Initially, hundreds of firefighters and 45 fire engines were involved in efforts to control the fire, with many firefighters continuing to attempt to control pockets of fire on
245-537: A national house price bubble, and led ultimately to what is commonly recognised as the displacement and gentrification of traditional communities. Local authorities have had the ability to sell council houses to their tenants since the Housing Act 1936, but until the early 1970s such sales were limited: between 1957 and 1964, some 16,000 council houses were sold in England. The Labour Party initially proposed
294-444: A personal desire to improve and modernise one's own home, enables parents to accrue wealth for their children and stimulates the attitudes of independence and self-reliance that are the bedrock of a free society." The sale price of a council house was based on its market valuation, discounted initially by between 33% and 50% (up to 70% for council flats), which was said to reflect the rents paid by tenants and also to encourage take-up;
343-401: A senior British Army officer. The renovation was part of a project to utilise the area around Lancaster Green. The new Kensington Leisure Centre had already been built to the east of the green, and the all-weather football pitches to the north of the tower were destined to become Kensington Academy . The renovation aimed to replace the substandard heating system, replace the windows, increase
392-418: A total of 200 bedrooms. Its first four storeys were non-residential until its most recent refurbishment, from 2015 to 2016, when two of them were converted to residential use, bringing it up to 127 flats and 227 bedrooms; six of the new flats had four bedrooms each and one flat had three bedrooms. It also received new windows and new cladding with thermal insulation during this refurbishment. The fire gutted
441-537: Is an area of west and northwest London . It is north of Notting Hill and south of Kensal Green predominately in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and partly in the London Borough of Brent and City of Westminster . The names North Kensington and Ladbroke Grove describe the same area. North Kensington is where most of the violence of the Notting Hill race riots of 1958 occurred, and where
490-439: Is located in the basement of the tower block. This basement is approximately four metres deep [14'] and in addition has two metres [7'] of concrete at its base. This foundation holds up the tower block and in situ concrete columns and slabs and pre-cast beams all tie the building together". Construction, by contractors A E Symes, of Leyton , London, commenced in 1972, with the building being completed in 1974. Before construction,
539-536: The Notting Hill Carnival started. Ladbroke Grove tube station was called Notting Hill from its opening in 1864 until 1880, and Notting Hill and Ladbroke Grove between then and 1919, when it was renamed Ladbroke Grove (North Kensington). It acquired its current name in 1938. The area was also once served by St. Quintin Park and Wormwood Scrubs railway station , until it closed in 1940. North Kensington
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#1732766194494588-809: The Welsh Government proposed a law to abolish Right to Buy in Wales . This law was passed by the Welsh Assembly in December 2017, and the scheme ended on 26 January 2019. The Right to Buy scheme has been criticised for the following reasons: A report published in January 2013 by London Assembly member Tom Copley , From Right to Buy to Buy to Let, showed that 36% of homes sold under Right to Buy in London (52,000 homes) were being rented by councils from private landlords, leading to criticisms that
637-425: The thermal efficiency of the tower and improve appearance of the tower in the style of the academy. It aimed to reconfigure the podium levels in order to use the space more efficiently. The nursery would move from 244 m (2,630 sq ft) on the mezzanine floor to 206 m (2,220 sq ft) on the ground floor with immediate access to outside play space. The mezzanine floor would be continued across
686-622: The Grenfell Tower. In an interview with Constantine Gras, quoted in The Guardian , he said that "he was born in Kenton , his parents had a grocer's shop on St Helen's Gardens, North Kensington . He was educated at Sloane Grammar school and then got a position with the architects Douglas Stephen and Partners, who, though small, were applying the principles of Le Corbusier and the modernists." He worked alongside Kenneth Frampton who
735-540: The Grenfell United survivors' group, have agreed that at the conclusion of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry the demolished tower will be replaced by a memorial to the victims. The government has voiced its intention to allow the survivors to "...guide the way future decisions are made" about the tower site and memorial. By May 2021, demolition of the tower was not expected to begin until June 2022 at
784-672: The London Assembly). Grenfell Tower on the Lancaster West Estate in North Kensington was destroyed by fire in the early hours of 14 June 2017. The fire killed 72 people and is the subject of a public inquiry . Right to Buy Right to Buy is the jurisdiction of the Minister of State for Housing . Critics claim that the policy compounded a housing shortage for people of low income, initiated
833-535: The UK had been sold to their tenants, although the number of council houses purchased by tenants declined during the 1990s. The Labour Party was initially against the sales and pledged to oppose them at the 1983 general election but dropped its official opposition to the scheme in 1985. However, at the 1987 general election , the Conservative government claimed to voters that a Labour government would still abolish
882-439: The appearance of the building. Two types were used: Arconic 's Reynobond PE, which consists of two coil-coated aluminium sheets that are fusion bonded to both sides of a polyethylene core; and Reynolux aluminium sheets. Beneath these, and fixed to the outside of the walls of the flats, was Celotex RS5000 polyisocyanurate (PIR) thermal insulation . The work was carried out by Harley Facades of Crowborough , East Sussex, at
931-501: The building and killed 72 people, including a stillbirth. In early 2018, it was announced that, following demolition of the tower, the site will be replaced by a memorial to those killed in the fire. As of December 2022, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has said that no firm plans exist for the tower, and that any decision will only be taken after community engagement. The 24-storey tower block
980-418: The collapsed Ronan Point tower of the same period, "and from what I can see could last another 100 years." He described it as a "very simple and straightforward concept. You have a central core containing the lift, staircase and the vertical risers for the services and then you have external perimeter columns. The services are connected to the central boiler and pump which powered the whole development and this
1029-496: The discount. The policy became one of the major points of Thatcherism . The policy proved immediately popular. Some local Labour-controlled councils were opposed, but the legislation prevented them from blocking purchases and enabled them to redeem debt. Sales were much higher in the south and east of England than in inner London and northern England . Sales were restricted to general-needs housing; adapted properties and those built specifically for older people were exempted from
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#17327661944941078-414: The earliest. However, as of December 2022, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has said that no firm plans exist for the tower, and that any decision will only be taken after further community engagement. The Grenfell Next of Kin group has proposed turning the tower into a green wall vertical garden as a memorial to the victims. Nigel Whitbread was the lead architect for
1127-480: The east of the Old Oak Common site, Kensington and Chelsea Council has been pushing for a station at North Kensington/ Kensal off Ladbroke Grove and Canal Way, as a turn-back facility will have to be built in the area anyway. Siting it at Kensal Green, rather than next to Paddington itself, would provide a new station to regenerate the area. Amongst the general public there is a huge amount of support for
1176-551: The end of the boom period seem to have brought this problem under control. In 2009, the Localis think tank suggested, as part of a review of principles for social housing reform, that the right to buy should be extended into equity slivers, which could be part-earned through being a good tenant. The qualifying period changed from 5 years to 3 years in 2018. At the 2011 Conservative Party Conference , David Cameron proposed to increase Right to Buy discounts in order to revitalise
1225-485: The full width of the building making space for three four-bedroom, 101.5 m (1,093 sq ft) six-person flats. The Dale Youth boxing club gained almost 100 m (1,100 sq ft) extra space by moving from the ground floor to the walkway level (190 m (2,000 sq ft) to 287 m (3,090 sq ft)). Walkway + 1 level would be converted from offices, to four new four-bedroom, six-person flats. Plans by Studio E Architects for renovation of
1274-467: The higher floors after most of the rest of the building had been gutted. Residents of surrounding buildings were evacuated due to concerns that the tower could collapse, though the building was later determined to be structurally sound. After the fire, the exterior was covered in a protective wrap to assist the remaining forensic investigations. The Government , the Kensington and Chelsea Council, and
1323-516: The housing market and generate receipts which could be spent on new housing. Social housing professionals expressed concerns over the proposal. As of 2 April 2012, the Right to Buy discount was increased to a maximum of £75,000 or 60% of the house value (70% for a flat) depending on which is lower. In March 2013, the maximum discount in London was increased to £100,000. The maximum right to buy discount increases each financial year in line with CPI as at
1372-551: The idea of the right of tenants to own the house they live in, in their manifesto for the 1959 general election , which they lost. In 1968, a circular was issued limiting sales in cities but was withdrawn by an incoming Conservative government in 1970. In the meantime, council house sales to tenants began to increase. Some 7,000 were sold to their tenants during 1970; this soared to more than 45,000 in 1972. [REDACTED] After Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in May 1979,
1421-461: The independence and charitable status of housing associations" and that "extending the right-to-buy to housing association tenants revived a previous Parliamentary debate and raised questions about the legal position of charities and the risks faced by housing associations and their funders". A 2017 BBC survey of council areas where waiting lists were rising showed the councils had bought back houses they had been forced to sell, sometimes at many times
1470-529: The legislation to implement the Right to Buy was passed in the Housing Act 1980 . Michael Heseltine , in his role as Secretary of State for the Environment, was in charge of implementing the legislation. Some 6,000,000 people were affected; about one in three actually purchased their housing unit. Heseltine noted that "no single piece of legislation has enabled the transfer of so much capital wealth from
1519-524: The local Moroccan immigrant community. In recent years, some residents had become leaseholders, mostly under the Right to Buy scheme; 14 flats in the tower, and three in Grenfell Walk, were leaseholder owned at the time of the 2017 fire. The tower was named after Grenfell Road, which ran to the south of the building; the road itself was named after Field Marshal Francis Grenfell 1st Baron Grenfell ,
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1568-410: The maximum discount was raised to 60% in 1984 and 70% in 1986. By 1988, the average discount that had by then actually been given was 44%. The local authority was obliged to offer a mortgage with no deposit. The discount depended on how long tenants had been living in the house, with the proviso that if they subsequently sold their house within a minimum period they would have to pay back a proportion of
1617-433: The open market should the owner decide to sell. Such owners now had to approach their previous landlord (council or housing association) and offer them the right of first refusal. If the previous landlord was no longer in existence, for example in cases where the former landlord was a registered social landlord that has ceased business, then the property had to first be offered to the local housing authority. The time in which
1666-589: The original sale, part or all of the discount will be required to be paid back. The Housing and Planning Bill 2016 extended right-to-buy to housing association tenants. In July 2013, the Scottish Government confirmed that Right to Buy would be abolished in Scotland from 2017. It was in the end abolished as a part of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 from 1 August 2016. In the summer of 2017,
1715-523: The partition walls were structural. The residential floors contained a two bedroom flat at each corner, in between which on the east and the west face was a one bedroomed flat. The core contained a stair column and the lift and service shafts. One-bedroom flats were 51.4 m (553 square feet) in area and two-bedroom flats were 75.5 m (813 square feet). The building was innovative, as most LCC tower blocks used traditional brick work for infill whereas here precast insulated concrete blocks were used, giving
1764-402: The plans at basement level were changed from the original brief to accommodate the need for extra car-parking. In the early 1990s, access to the building was restricted through the use of key fobs, and lift access to the first four storeys was discontinued. The building was renovated in 2015–16. When the building opened in 1974, it was nicknamed the 'Moroccan Tower' because many tenants came from
1813-466: The podium, being used for non-residential purposes). The floors were named ground, mezzanine, walkway and walkway+1, floor 1, floor 2 etc. It housed up to 600 people. The tower was built to the Parker Morris standards . Each floor was 22 by 22 m (72 by 72 feet), giving an approximate usable area of 476 m (5,120 square feet). The layout of each floor was designed to be flexible as none of
1862-409: The previous September. The aim of the scheme is, for every additional home sold, a new home will be built for 'affordable rent' at up to 80% of market rent, aimed at maintaining the level of affordable housing while also increasing the number of properties available for those on the waiting list. The five year tenancy criterion will remain, and should the property be sold within the first five years of
1911-485: The project and Mayor Boris Johnson stated that a station would be added if it did not increase Crossrail's overall cost; in response, Kensington and Chelsea Council agreed to underwrite the projected £33 million cost of a crossrail station, which was received very well by the residents of the borough. TfL is conducting a feasibility study on the station and the project is backed by National Grid, retailers Sainsbury's and Cath Kidston, and Jenny Jones (Green Party member of
1960-581: The scheme "represents incredibly poor value for money to taxpayers" since it "helped to fuel the increase in the housing benefit bill, heaped more pressure on local authority waiting lists and led to more Londoners being forced into the under-regulated private rented sector". A survey in 2013 showed around one third of Right to Buy houses were now owned by private landlords, while the son of the late Ian Gow (Thatcher's housing minister) owned some 40 houses. In 2015, Alan Murie concluded that "the proposed extension of right-to-buy could not easily be reconciled with
2009-432: The scheme. When Labour returned to power at the 1997 general election , it reduced the discount available to tenants in local authorities which had severe pressure on their housing stock; this included almost the whole of London. The Right to Buy rules were changed in 2005. Five years' tenancy was now required for new tenants to qualify, and properties purchased after January 2005 could no longer immediately be placed on
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2058-501: The scheme. Half the proceeds of the sales were paid to the local authorities, but the government restricted authorities' use of most of the money to reducing their debt until it was cleared rather than spending it on building more homes. The effect was to reduce the council housing stock, especially in areas where property prices were high, such as London and the south-east of England. In 1982, 200,000 council houses were sold to their tenants. By 1987, more than 1,000,000 council houses in
2107-450: The state to the people". He said the right to buy had two main objectives: to give people what they wanted and to reverse the trend of ever-increasing dominance of the state over the life of the individual. He said: "There is in this country a deeply ingrained desire for home ownership. The Government believe that this spirit should be fostered. It reflects the wishes of the people, ensures the wide spread of wealth through society, encourages
2156-433: The tower were publicised in 2012. The £8.7 million refurbishment, undertaken by Rydon Ltd , of Forest Row , East Sussex in conjunction with Artelia for contract administration and Max Fordham as specialist mechanical and electrical consultants, was completed in 2016. As part of the project, in 2015–2016, the concrete structure received new windows and new aluminium composite rainscreen cladding, in part to improve
2205-537: The tower's residents, according to an enquiry by the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published in 2019. In 2020, survivors of the fire stated that "nothing has changed" three years later and expressed feelings of being "left behind" and "disgusted" by a lack of progress in making similar buildings safe. 51°30′50″N 0°12′57″W / 51.5140°N 0.2158°W / 51.5140; -0.2158 North Kensington North Kensington
2254-411: The walls an unusual texture. The ten exterior concrete columns were also unusual. In addition, other tower blocks of this era had four flats per storey, rather than six. The original lead architect for the building, Nigel Whitbread, said in 2016 in an interview with Constantine Gras, which was later partially repeated in The Guardian , that the tower had been designed with attention to strength, unlike
2303-590: Was designed in 1967 in the Brutalist style of the era by Clifford Wearden and Associates, with the Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council approving its construction in 1970, as part of phase one of the Lancaster West redevelopment project . The 67.3 m (221 ft) tall building contained 120 one- and two-bedroom flats (six dwellings per floor on 20 of the 24 storeys with the bottom four,
2352-483: Was once known for its slum housing, but housing prices have now risen and the area on the whole is considered exclusive and upmarket, although expensive residences are interspersed with lower-income areas like the Lancaster West Estate . Kensal Green, Kensal Town, Ladbroke Grove, Latimer Road and the Queens Park Estate are all considered by locals to be part of the wider North Kensington area. Just to
2401-610: Was the Technical Editor of the journal Architectural Design ; and Elia Zenghelis and Bob Maxwell. He moved to work for Clifford Wearden after the basic plan for Lancaster West Estate had been established. He later worked for 30 years until his retirement at Aukett Associates . Around 2016, he became involved with the local residents association drawing up the St Quintin and Woodlands Neighbourhood Plan. A residents' organisation, Grenfell Action Group (GAG), published
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