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Winter in a park home, Rural right-to-buy

Consumer affairs programme. Winifred Robinson asks how the government's new 'right to buy' scheme could affect the supply of affordable homes in rural areas.

Age UK says tens of thousands of elderly people living in holiday park homes and pre-fabs are struggling to keep warm in the winter. The charity says they are ineligible for much of the support provided to help people to insulate and heat their homes. They are pressing the government to set up an energy efficiency scheme to help park-home residents to reduce their heating bills.

The government wants to give housing association tenants the right to buy their homes. It's an extension of the right to buy available to council house tenants. But several organisations representing rural communities have told us they fear it could result in a serious shortage of affordable homes in the countryside. Michael Eavis, who founded and runs Glastonbury Festival gave land to a housing association so it could be used to provide affordable homes. He plans to do the same again but wants a cast iron guarantee that none of the homes will be sold under right-to-buy. We ask what protections could be put in place to protect the supply of affordable homes in rural areas.

Producer: Jonathan Hallewell
Presenter: Winifred Robinson.

Available now

45 minutes

Chapters

  • Rural Right to Buy

    Will the Right To Buy scheme make it even harder to find affordable countryside housing?

    Duration: 07:46

  • Heating Mobile Homes

    The elderly people struggling to heat their mobile home or pre-fab during the winter.

    Duration: 06:59

  • Connor Sparrowhawk

    How can care be improved for people with learning disabilities?

    Duration: 06:11

  • Online Dating for Over-50s

    Finding love, later in life.

    Duration: 04:56

  • Greggs

    The chief executive of Greggs explains the journey from store bakeries to food on-the-go.

    Duration: 06:48

  • Compassionate Fares

    The airline offering cheaper tickets to people facing family emergencies.

Broadcast

  • Mon 19 Oct 2015 12:15

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