Beckett to loosen constraints on council building?

Councils may get greater freedom to build more homes under plans going to consultation today. Under proposals announced by Margaret Beckett, councils would be able to retain the rental income from homes they build and profit on properties sold through right to buy. Ms Beckett has been under pressure to lift the barriers on council house building and encourage them to play a bigger role in delivering affordable homes at a time when government ambitions to build three million homes by 2020 looks increasingly unlikely to be met.