Housing chief’s review call after £1m four-home plan approved

The director of Angus Housing Association has called on the Scottish Government to review the way it subsidises councils who want to build new homes.

Bruce Forbes was speaking after Angus councillors approved a £1 million housing plan that will help meet the needs of a family with disabilities.

Eight two-bedroom flats will be demolished in Noran Avenue in Arbroath and replaced with four family homes.

The plan has been brought forward in response to the needs of a family in the area with special needs and was unanimously approved by the communities committee.

Mr Forbes said: “As someone who has worked in the housing field for nearly 40 years, it is usually with great pleasure that I read newspaper headlines announcing new homes for rent being built.

“I know from experience that they are desperately needed.

“When, however, I read that only four new homes would be provided at a cost of £1m, I could not believe that the elected members on Angus Council had agreed to proceed with this project without further scrutiny of the costs.

“It is completely unsustainable to build new houses at such hugely inflated capital costs, and carrying on with projects like this only ultimately means less homes are built for those in need.

“While I know that the houses that Angus Council have built recently are very high quality, these figures do not equate to anything even near the ballpark costs of houses of a similar standard that housing associations like ourselves have been building for the last 20 years.”