XN000022-1986-02-26 — Page 46

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1986

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10 PER CENT HOUSING PRODUCTION GROWTH SEEN

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HOUSING AUTHORITY PRODUCTION FROM 1986-87 TO 1989-90 WAS TODAY FORECAST BY SIR JOHN BREMRIDGE TO EXCEED PRODUCTION IN THE PREVIOUS FOUR YEARS BY 10.4 PER CENT.

THIS INCLUDED 7 241 FLATS TO BE PRODUCED UNDER THE EXTENDED REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR THE 26 SUB-STANDARD BLOCKS.

FLATS PRODUCED UNDER THE EXTENDED REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ARE ADDITIONAL TO THE ANNUAL PRODUCTION TARGET OF 30 000 RENTAL FLATS.

SIR JOHN SAID THAT OF THE TOTAL CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT CAPITAL EXPENDITURE IN 1986-87, $3.4 BILLION WOULD BE SPENT ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSING, INCLUDING TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS, AGAINST A REVISED ESTIMATE OF $3.1 BILLION FOR 1985-86.

THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY, HE SAID, WAS THAT THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME SHOULD ACHIEVE A LEVEL OF PRODUCTION OF AT LEAST 40 000 FLATS A YEAR FOR RENTAL AND SALE.

+THIS TARGET COMPRISES THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S RENTAL FLATS AND FLATS FOR SALE UNDER THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME, FLATS SOLD UNDER THE PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME, AND THE HOUSING SOCIETY'S PRODUCTION THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF RENTAL HOUSING AND THE URBAN IMPROVEMENT SCHEME,+ HE SAID.

SIR JOHN SAID TOTAL PRODUCTION IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, INCLUDING PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME FLATS AND HOUSING SOCIETY FLATS WAS ESTIMATED AT 188 000, WITH AN AVERAGE COMPLETION RATE OF 47 000 A YEAR: 41 932 IN 1986-87, 43 564 IN 1987-88, 48 532 IN 1988-89 AND 54 243 IN 1989-90.

+ IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS THERE WILL CONSEQUENTLY BE PROVIDED IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR NEW, GOOD QUALITY, SUBSIDISED HOUSING FOR SOME 750 000 PEOPLE,+ HE SAID.

+THIS IS A REMARKABLE FIGURE,+ SIR JOHN SAID, +I KNOW OF NO COMPARABLE PROGRAMME ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.+

THE SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION OF PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPERS ALSO MUST NOT BE OVERLOOKED, AS THIS WAS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT, HE SAID.

SIR JOHN SAID SOME 56 650 HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FLATS OUT OF 62 250 IN THE FIRST SEVEN PHASES WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY THE END OF 1986-87, AND WORK WAS IN HAND ON THE BALANCE AND ON A FURTHER 21 540 FLATS IN PHASES EIGHT-NINE AND TEN.

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