Big boost to housing after council buy up
£579k purchase plan to secure more homes
Affordable housing in East Kilbride has been given a boost after South Lanarkshire Council agreed to spend over half-a-million pounds buying properties from the private sector.
Councillors gave the go ahead to the acquisition of seven houses at various locations in East Kilbride to add to the local authority’s housing stock.
The properties were purchased from Franchville Investments Limited – who own a portfolio of 38 properties for private rent in the town – at a cost of £579,950.
A housing and technical resources committee report stated that the landlord had initially proposed to advertise these properties for sale on the open market – but prior to this decided to contact the council instead.
The report states: “Discussions between property services and the local area housing manager identified seven properties out of the 38 that met the council’s requirements and provisional negotiations were undertaken, prior to seeking committee approval.
“As with every purchase, the council’s surveyors have sought to secure best value on the basis of a negotiated reduction on the property Home Report wherever appropriate.”
A previous report to the committee approved proposals for a council house open market purchase scheme (CHOMPS) to increase the supply of council housing stock in line with the local housing strategy.
Key priorities, the report states, include the purchase of high demand property types in areas where stock has been depleted through Right to Buy, and the purchase of property to support area regeneration activity or address empty homes blight.
CHOMPS also aims to address an urgent and specific applicant housing need promptly and more cost effectively than adapting or converting an existing council house.
East Kilbride South SNP councillor Archie Buchanan gave his backing to the purchase plan.
He said: “This will mean that these properties which are located across the town will now be put back into the public sector for rent which I am sure will be welcomed by the many families on the housing list.”