Member

Amendments 18 and 19, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady O’Neill, and the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, respectively, relate to the exemption from right to buy of homes in rural and protected areas. Amendment 18 would remove the new exemption from right to buy for homes in national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty and designated rural areas. The Government do not consider this to be the right approach. These exemptions reflect the reality that homes in rural and protected landscapes are significantly harder to replace once lost from social housing stock. Land constraints, planning restrictions and limited development opportunities mean that, in many cases, replacement is simply not feasible. Without this protection, there is a clear risk that social and affordable homes in these areas will continue to be lost, exacerbating shortages and reducing access to housing for local communities, with all the consequences that the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, rightly highlighted, of the loss of housing affecting the loss of other amenities as well.