Guinness offers right to acquire option

The plan comes as the homeownership taskforce debates the issue of whether all social housing tenants should have the "right to acquire" their homes.

The trust will pilot the idea for six months from April in its estates in the North, South-east and West. Tenants could buy outright or in stages through shared ownership. If successful, it will roll the scheme out nationwide within a year of completing the pilots.

Raj Upadhyaya, the trust's group investment director, said: "Our primary objective is to create mixed-income, mixed-tenure neighbourhoods."

He did not think the plan would deplete the trust's social rented stock and said the proceeds of the sales would be reinvested. He thought about 30% of Guinness's 22,000 households would be interested in buying and approximately 15% would be able to afford to do so. The trust is also interested in selling some vacant properties on the open market or to residents.

The announcements came as Guinness unveiled its new development arm, Guinness Homes. Upadhyaya will head the scheme, which has an initial starting budget of £3m.