The chamber will be packed in Forfar today as sweeping change to sheltered housing provision in Angus is debated.
Following four months of intense public interest and scrutiny, a meeting of Angus Council will decide on a raft of proposals, bent on fulfilling its statutory duties while saving £800,000.
In October The Courier revealed council officers had visited council tenants to consult them on possible changes to the care of older people in a sheltered environment.
The council has said no decision has yet been taken on the role of tenancy support officers (TSOs) at 24 complexes but it is understood they have already been told they will no longer be directly employed by the council.
A report by Vivien Smith, the council’s head of planning and place, will remind councillors that a revenue budget saving of £781,000 has already been accounted for in the review and that original proposals to make that saving are “no longer achievable” due to the Scottish Government policy of self-directed support (SDS), which means the council would be open to legal challenge if tenants are not given an alternative to TSOs.
Residents and their families have contacted The Courier about fears over one of the proposals in the range of options before councillors, by which young people and offenders with additional needs judged fit would be able to move in next door.
An insider said: “The residents and wardens are afraid that the council will replace tenants who leave with people of any age with drug and alcohol problems, or who have come straight from prisons.
“The fear is that they could have parties in those communal lounges every night. It would be assessed as normal council housing, which a lot of the residents have moved away from for that very reason.
“All the complexes are like wee communities in the community.
“That would be lost if that happened.”
Such a two-stream model could result in one-third of sheltered housing becoming retirement accommodation.
One of Arbroath’s four complexes, Wesley Gardens, could be changed entirely to retirement housing, along with Toll Crescent in Forfar and Blackfriars Court in Montrose.
The communities of Monifieth, Edzell, Lunanhead and Ferryden would have each of their complexes changed over.
A number of others Andy Stewart Court in Arbroath and Montrose’s Caledonian Station would be a mix of sheltered and retirement accommodation.