Skipton Building Society has made changes to its lending policy for new build flats to now accept applications of up to 95% loan to value (LTV).

The mutual says the move has been made as part of its commitment to supporting more first-time buyers onto the property ladder,

Jonathan Evans, who has just been announced as Skipton’s new build lead, said: “I’m really pleased to announce that I am going to be focussing on all things new build here at Skipton, we are constantly looking to make things easier for our brokers and their clients, from aiming to underwrite applications within 48 hours to our enhanced approach to incentives.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to listen to brokers and feed their ideas into our innovation here.

“At Skipton we understand the challenges in the new build market and the deposit hurdles facing prospective homeowners. That’s why I’m happy to announce that as of today we’re now supporting new build flats at 95% LTV, unlocking more opportunities for homeownership.”