"Right to Buy" could be suspended

COUNCIL AND ITS PARTNERS TO CONSULT ON PRESSURED AREA DESIGNATION PROPOSAL

Argyll and Bute Council and local Housing Associations, who together comprise the housing partnership HOMEArgyll, are preparing an application to the Scottish Government for Pressured Area Designation (PAD) for areas of acute housing shortage within Argyll and Bute.

If successful, some tenants - i.e. those who commenced their tenancy after 30th September 2002 - in the designated areas may have the Right To Buy their home suspended, initially for a period of five years.

The proposal is being considered as a way of helping to address the significant shortage of affordable housing in a number of communities across Argyll and Bute.

Any suspension of Right To Buy would mean that a number of houses, which could otherwise have been sold off to sitting tenants, will continue to be available for let to those local families and individuals who are considered to be in the greatest housing need.

Argyll and Bute Council’s Housing and Communities Spokesperson, Councillor George Freeman, said:
“We need to consider all the options that are available to us to try and increase the supply of affordable housing across Argyll and Bute.

“Some areas are suffering from serious shortages of affordable rented accommodation, which is having an impact on individuals and families on housing waiting lists throughout the region.

“Although the PAD proposal will not impact on the majority of tenants across Argyll and Bute, I believe that the process we are considering will hopefully prove an effective measure in helping to ensure that there are more affordable properties available for those who need them.”

The Council has now completed its initial analysis of housing need data and supporting evidence and identified the potential areas for inclusion in the PAD application.



Together with housing association partners, the authority is now undertaking a period of consultation with social sector tenants, waiting list applicants, and local residents in general.



Anyone with an interest in this issue is invited to contact the Council at the address below and express their view via phone, email or letter by 15th January 2010.



Housing association tenants who have queries regarding their own tenancy and their eligibility status for Right To Buy should contact their local housing association office in the first instance.

When the consultation exercise has been completed, a report will be submitted to the Council’s Executive and to members of the Argyll and Bute Strategic Housing & Communities Forum, as well as the boards of the individual Housing Associations.

Only when this has been done will any decision as to whether or not to submit an application to the Scottish Government for Ministerial approval be taken.

If the application is eventually submitted and approved, not all Housing Association tenants will be affected, even within the designated areas.

In addition, all eligible Right To Buy tenants will retain that right – it will simply be suspended, in the first instance, for five years.

The areas to be considered for PAD, based on current and historic housing needs and demand assessments, are:



COWAL - Ardentinny; Benmore; Blairmore; Colintraive; Dunoon/Kirn; Glendaruel; Innellan; Kames/Tighnabruiach; Kilmun; Lochgoilhead; Millhouse; Sandban; Strachur; Strone; Toward



BUTE - Kilchattan/Kingarth



MID ARGYLL - Lochgilphead; Ardrishaig; Cairnbaan; Craignish/Ardfern; Crarae; Crinan; Eredine; Inveraray; Kilmartin; Tayvallich



KINTYRE - Gigha; Macrihanish; Penninver



ISLAY, JURA & COLONSAY - Ballygrant; Bowmore; Bridgend; Bruichladdich; Keills/Port Askaig; Port Charlotte; Port Ellen; Portnahaven; Jura; Colonsay



LORN - Oban; Appin; Balvicar; Barcaldine; Benderloch; Bonawe; Clachan Seil; Connel; North Connel; Dalmally; Dunbeg; Kilchrennan; Kilmore; Kilmelford; Kilninver; Lochawe; Taynuilt; Lismore; Luing; Port Appin



MULL & IONA - Bunessan; Craignure; Dervaig; Fionnphort; Salen; Tobermory; Iona



COLL & TIREE - Coll; Tiree



HELENSBURGH & LOMOND - Arrochar; Cardross; Kilcreggan; Helensburgh; Luss; Rhu



For further information regarding the PAD process, or to provide comments on the proposed submission please contact:


Allan Brandie, Research & Development Officer, Argyll and Bute Council, Dolphin Hall, Manse Avenue, Dunoon, Argyll, PA23 8DQ

Tel: 01369 70 8679.

EMAIL: allan.brandie@argyll-bute.gov.uk)



The full text of the draft PAD submission isavailable online at www.argyll-bute.gov.uk

• The HOMEArgyll partners are Argyll and Bute Council, Argyll Community Housing Association, Dunbritton Housing Association, Fyne Homes and West Highland Housing Association.

• The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 allows Scottish Ministers to designate any part of a local authority area as a ‘pressured area’ for up to five years at a time, where the demand for social housing outstrips supply and it can be shown that this situation will be adversely affected by tenants exercising their right to buy. The result of the designation is to suspend the right to buy for certain tenants living in the area for a period of up to five years.

• Since the introduction of the Right To Buy in 1980, over 5,600 former Council homes have been sold throughout Argyll and Bute, amounting to over 50% of the original stock.

• The Council transferred its housing stock to the Registered Social Landlord - Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) - in 2006. Since then, the number of homes sold through Right To Buy has continued to deplete the affordable homes available to meet local needs.

• In total, the Registered Social Landlord sector in Argyll and Bute currently provides less than 7,900 social rented properties, and on average there are only 800 lets available annually to meet the needs of the local communities. There are some 3,000 households on the HOMEArgyll waiting list.

• In addition, the number of households suffering the most severe form of housing need, i.e. those households deemed to be homeless for whatever reason, continues to increase year on year.

• The shortage of affordable housing both in the social and owner occupied sector has resulted in a high level of demand for accommodation in those areas.

• To tackle this problem Argyll and Bute Council and its Registered Social Landlord partners believe that applying for Pressured Area Designation, under the terms of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, would make a contribution to help stabilise affordable housing stock numbers and help meet local housing needs.

• Twelve local authorities across Scotland have already successfully applied to use the Pressured Area mechanism – East Renfrewshire, Highland, South Ayrshire, Moray, Fife, Dumfries and Galloway, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeen, North Ayrshire, Aberdeenshire, North Lanarkshire and Stirling.