Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Open Market Purchase Scheme beats target
A new initiative by North Lanarkshire Council has met – and exceeded – its target for the year.
The Open Market Purchase Scheme has brought more than 100 homes back into use for rent across the area.
This forms part of the local authority’s plans to improve and expand its housing stock, and helps supplement its new house building programme.
Catriona Arbuckle, development officer for the council, said: “What’s significant about our achievement is that we were able to progress purchases and exceed our target, despite the Covid pandemic.
“The pandemic saw our new supply team, surveyors and legal colleagues put in rigorous new working practices to adhere to all new Scottish Government safety guidance.
“This has allowed the scheme, which is supported by the Scottish Government, to continue and exceed our target.
“We’ll continue to identify suitable properties that we can bring back into use, ensuring we maximise the stock of available homes on offer to our tenants and residents.”
The scheme, Ms Arbuckle says, allows the council to progress plans for its tower re-provisioning programme, enabling them to purchase a number of private homes in existing tower blocks earmarked for demolition.
She added: “It’s just one of the ways we’re supporting our ambitious plans for 5000 additional home for rent by 2035 and our vision to make North Lanarkshire the place to live.”
The main criteria for the purchase of homes on the open market is if there is demand for the type and size of property in that: the combined cost of buying the property and bringing it up to letting standards would represent value for money to the council; where the purchase of a property will enable the council to take complete, or majority, ownership of blocks of flats making communal repairs much easier to complete; and homes purchased would meet the particular needs of households not currently available in the council stock, such as homes suitable for people with disabilities.