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GLA in negotiations with government to change funding rules on Right to Buy receipts
The Greater London Authority (GLA) has revealed it is in discussions with the government to change the conditions attached to its Right to Buy ring-fence grant programme.
The GLA’s plans to tweak the programme were revealed following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request made by Inside Housing.
The Right to Buy Ringfence Offer for councils was launched by the mayor of London as part of the Building Council Homes for Londoners funding prospectus in May 2018.
Under the offer, the GLA will ring-fence any Right to Buy receipts that a participating council collects and returns to the GLA for use by that council.
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Inside Housing asked the GLA how much it currently held on behalf of each local authority across the capital, and the subsequent amount each council had claimed from the funding pot.
The GLA refused the request, but explained its decision by saying it would prejudice the commercial interests of a third party.
However, the refusal notice also revealed that the GLA was in talks with the government to change the conditions of the programme.
The refusal notice said: “The [Right to Buy] ring-fence programme is an active programme and at present we are in negotiations with [the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)] about changing the programme conditions.
“As per the first part of your request, we are also in discussions with local authorities with the aim to review the grant funding sources on current projects to ensure the best value for money and outcomes for Londoners. Releasing information requested in the FOI will impact these commercial negotiations.”
A spokesperson for the mayor of London said: “We are looking at securing additional flexibilities through the programme to better respond to market conditions.”
The DLUHC was asked to comment.
