Proposals to bring forward a report on applying for extended pressured area status for Perthshire’s council housing have met with mixed reviews.
The local authority was initially awarded pressured area status in 2007 to protect affordable rented housing stock in 21 letting areas across Highland Perthshire and greater Perth.
However, as this is due to run out next year, councillors were asked to bring a report looking at the situation before the housing and health committee.
Vice-convener Alasdair Wylie said that since tenants were given the right to buy, more than half the council stock has been lost, with 10,000 properties being bought.
While a number of councillors voiced their disquiet at this, Councillor Mac Roberts has seen it as a positive step forward.
“It was with heavy heart that I read this paper, which could well be the death knell for the right to buy,” he said.
“The right to buy act was probably the most successful and well received piece of housing legislation ever enacted, because it allowed the ordinary man in the street the chance to own his own home and what a vast improvement this has made to the appearance of our council housing estates.
“Before this act, nearly 70% of us lived in council housing with no hope of ever owning our own home today some 70% are now home owners and for the first time in the history of Scotland, the people of Scotland can own not just the house in which they live, but the land on which it is built.”
He continued, “I hope that this council will not end up restricting the right to buy to all tenants, thereby excluding a large number of our existing tenants from becoming home owners.”
During the meeting at least, Councillor Roberts proved to be the sole supporter of retaining the right to buy as more of his colleagues chose to speak out against it.
It was branded the “right to become homeless” by Councillor Elspeth Maclachlan, who believes it left residents struggling to pay their mortgage.
She added that these properties also didn’t have the same benefits as existing council houses because the cost of any work or upgrades needed has to be met by the homeowner, rather than being by the local authority.
Also showing his distaste at the right to buy scheme was Councillor Dave Scott, who blamed the Conservative government of the 1980s for the ongoing shortage of affordable housing.
He said, “In the 80s, when a certain lady decided that she would sell our council houses, we thought ‘fine’ as we could build other ones.
“But, this lady decided that what we had to do was sell the houses at an old value.
“For example, on Nimmo Avenue a house that was valued at £30,000 and had £24,000-worth of work done to it, was sold for £9000.
“This lady then decided that 75% of that should go towards government debt.”
Councillor Scott added that the legislation set down was “wrong” and that he would be “glad” to get rid of it.
It is hoped that the report will come before the committee again later this year.
Photo used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user Gene Hunt.