First-time buyers promised council tax cut by Tories

The Welsh Conservatives say they want everyone aspiring to own a home to be able to

First-time buyers would not pay council tax for six months if the Conservatives win the 2016 assembly election.

For the average band D home, first-time buyers would save £660, at an estimated total cost of about £7.5m a year.

But the Conservatives have dropped plans to scrap stamp duty for all homes up to £250,000. That pledge will now only apply to first-time buyers.

Labour dismissed the plan as "fantasy politics", saying the Tories had not said how they would pay for it.

As well as extending the right to buy for social housing tenants, the Conservatives said they would keep the Help to Buy Wales scheme - which offers financial assistance for people buying newly-built homes - until the year 2020.

Labour has said it would abolish the right to buy.

Andrew RT Davies says he wants to reduce the financial pressure on first-time buyers

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said the commitments showed his party was "the party of aspiration and home ownership".

"When you pick up the keys to your new home you won't be picking up a new council tax bill," he said.

A Welsh Tory spokesman said the stamp duty waiver was changed to match a new stamp duty regime being introduced by Chancellor George Osborne.

A Welsh Labour spokesman said: "This is just fantasy politics from the Tories - there's no suggestion of how they will pay for any of it. Their party in London has already made a £50m in-year cut to our budget this year, and we expect there's more to come.

"Council tax is already lower in Wales than England and we are well on track to meeting our ambitious housing targets for this term.

"We will be bringing forward our own proposals on housing and tax for 2016, and unlike this Tory fag packet offering, it will be properly thought through - and costed."