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There was submitted a report by the Director of Communities & Housing Services relative to a proposal to amend the current policy, approved in May 2014, which allowed the sale of the last house in a block in certain circumstances.
The report advised that mixed tenure flatted blocks often presented difficulties when delivering investment programmes, because the delivery of such programmes required the consent of co-owners within flats. It was noted that of the Council’s 12,216 properties, almost 70% were flatted, with many in mixed tenure blocks. It was also highlighted that resolution of the issue of mixed tenure blocks would be critical to the successful delivery of the £100 million Housing Regeneration investment programme. The report set out a proposal to amend the current sale and acquisition policy for last house in the block, to include any flatted blocks, which currently applied to blocks of more than five, and included provision to enable rehousing of tenants, with their agreement, where the Council was a minority owner. It was noted that receipts from the sale of such properties would be used to acquire properties that could assist in facilitating investment works in other mixed tenure blocks or meet other housing needs by adding to the supply of affordable housing for social rent across Renfrewshire and, as a consequence, there would be no loss to the stock, and overall repairs and improvements would be easier to deliver in the future.
DECIDED:
(a) That the changes to the “last in the block sale and acquisition policy”, as set out within section 3 of the report and in full accordance with the Council’s Scheme of Delegated Functions and Financial Regulations be approved, in order to allow:
(i) Re-housing of tenants, with their agreement, to allow disposal;
(ii) Disposal of flats which were “last-in-the-block” but where the legal title included more than one block;
(iii) Disposal of “last in the block” flats regardless of the number of properties in the block;
(iv) The use of receipts for acquisition of properties to increase Council ownership in other mixed-tenure blocks; and
(b) That the Director of Communities & Housing Services be authorised to seek the consent of Scottish Ministers as required.