The video will start in 8 Cancel

News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Philip Hammond has pledged £7.6 million of taxpayers' cash to repair a stately home while more than 50,000 households are classified as homeless.

Wentworth Woodhouse is a Grade I listed country house in the village of Wentworth, near Rotherham.

It is thought to have been the inspiration for Pemberley in Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice.

The chancellor announced £7.6 million of public money is to be spent on the property in today's Autumn Statement.

Meanwhile, statutory homelessness rose by 23 % from 2009 to 2015. Last year, around 50,000 households were recognised as homeless by their local authorities.

Rough sleeping was up by around a third over the same period.

Opulent Wentworth Woodhouse is one of the largest privately owned homes in Europe, has more than 300 rooms, 1,000 windows and marble floors.

It sits in 150 acres of parkland and has a facade twice the length of Buckingham Palace.

It's owned by a preservation trust, who bought it from previous owner - architect Clifford Newbold in 2014.

Mr Newbold snapped the property up for just £1.5m with the intention of restoring it.

But he became embroiled in a lengthy legal battle, suing the UK Coal Authority for £100m in compensation over mine shafts dug within 20 yards of the property's front door, which caused damage to the building.

After Mr Newbold's death, the Land Tribunal ruled against his family's claim in October - saying the damage suffered by the property in recent decades was nothing to do with the property.

But during his speech, Mr Hammond seemed to contradict their ruling.

He said: “In 1946, in an extraordinary act of cultural vandalism, the then Labour government authorised extensive open-cast coal mining, virtually up to the front door of this precious property.

“Perhaps that’s Labour’s idea of a Northern Powerhouse.”

A spokesperson for the Coal Authority said: “The matter of determining responsibility for coal mining subsidence at Wentworth Woodhouse is still with the Lands Tribunal. We continue to defend our position that the Authority has no liability in this case.”

Here's what Philip Hammond said about the new money in his speech

"Mr Speaker, I have deliberately avoided making this statement into a long list of individual projects being supported.

"But I am going to make one exception:

"I will act today, with just seven days to spare, to save one of the UK’s most important historic houses: Wentworth Woodhouse near Rotherham.

"It is said to be the inspiration for Pemberley in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

"Wentworth Woodhouse is now at critical risk of being lost to future generations.

“In 1946, in an extraordinary act of cultural vandalism, the then Labour government authorised extensive open-cast coal mining, virtually up to the front door of this precious property.

“Perhaps that’s Labour’s idea of a Northern Powerhouse.

"A local effort has secured millions in funding – subject to the balance required being found by November 30th.

"So we will provide a £7.6 million grant towards urgent repairs to safeguard this key piece of Northern heritage."