A DAGENHAM couple will hit our TV screens this week to talk about buying a council house under the controversial Right to Buy scheme.
Barry and Shirley Watson, of Gale Street, feature in tomorrow’s Tonight on ITV, looking the issues facing the housing market and the nation’s obsession with home ownership.
The pensioners were interviewed about their experiences of buying a council property 25 years ago under the Right to Buy scheme, which has since been blamed for causing the borough’s severe shortage in social housing.
Barry, who with his wife paid 40 per cent of the market value of their home, told the POST: “We were asked if we were glad we took advantage of the scheme. I said I didn’t regret it.”
In 1979 the borough had 40,000 council properties, compared to 19,303 in April 2010
Tonight airs at 7.30 tomorrow (October 21).
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