South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 21 January 1961
Conisbro’ U.D.C. May Build Houses for Sale, But…
In an effort to help young married couples still waiting for their own homes, Conisbrough Urban Council are planning to build houses for sale.
Mr. P. Edwards, Clerk to the Council, said this week that as a result of the Government now subsidising only slum clearance projects, the Council had not been building houses for general needs for three years.
As a result, the number of people on Conisbrough’s housing list had increased considerably, and young couples were having to wait longer for houses than they had had to do for a number of years.
Recent Press reports concerning a scheme to build houses and bungalows for sale to the public at £3,000, deposit and repayment terms per week, had aroused the Council’s interest.
“We thought it fantastic,” said Mr. Edwards.
The Council wrote for details of the scheme, but found that it was still in the preparatory stage, and that although the houses were to be available for a deposit of £25 and weekly payments would be 30s. on each £1,000 borrowed.
Weekly Repayments
“This means that weekly repayments on a three-bedroom type house will be dear at 5s.,” said Mr. Edwards.
Despite this, the Council intend to go ahead with their own scheme.
“It is almost certain that weekly repayments for a three-bedroom type house will be in the region of 55s.,” said Mr. Edwards.
“This is way above the Council rents of 27s. 8d. for a three-bedroom type house, and 30s. 6d. for a four-bedroom type.”
At the Council’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, Coun. G. Cheshire said the houses they proposed to build would be a little better than the ordinary type of Council house.
Coun. J. Prembergat, Chairman of the Housing Committee, said the first choice of the houses would be given to people at present on the housing list, second choice to tenants in their own particular district, and third to the general public.
He said applicants would be thoroughly “screened” to safeguard them against themselves. “We do not want to put millions round young people’s necks,” he said.
The Council’s Engineer and Surveyor, Mr. C. Urch, has been asked to give a report on a suitable site capable of taking in the region of 50 houses, and Mr. Edwards is to communicate with applicants on the present housing list to ascertain the likely demand for such houses.