Council scraps discounts for first time buyers

A council has scrapped the need for housebuilders to provide discounted homes to first time buyers on new housing estates.
Westmorland and Furness Council has dropped the First Home Statement which gave buyers a 30% discount on their first home.
A report by the council said the scheme did not fulfil its housing objectives, in part due to the area's ageing population.
Liberal Democrat councillor Judith Derbyshire said the scheme "undermines our goal for local housing needs" and was "narrowly targeted".
The council's involvement in the scheme was first adopted by the former Eden District and South Lakeland Councils in 2022, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
But the newest version of the National Planning Policy Framework removed the need for local authorities to require first homes to be built on new developments.
Westmorland and Furness Council's two key housing objectives are to grow the supply of affordable and available housing and to provide services that reflect the needs of its communities.
But as more than 70% of adults in the area are older than 40, the council said most residents already own their own home and did not benefit.
Instead the council intends to rely on the pre-existing Discounted Sale scheme, which allows eligible people to buy homes at a lower rate than the market value.
Derbyshire said it was a "more flexible and inclusive scheme" which would apply to everyone "whether they are first time home buyers or not".
She said scrapping the First Home Statements would lead to "no financial implications" because of the Discounted Sale scheme.