Tenants offered incentive to move out of homes

COUNCIL tenants still occupying prope rt ies i n a Gle n rot hes housing complex earmarked for demolition will be moved up the rehousing list and offered up to £2,500 as an incentive to leave.

The move comes as Fife Council continues to pursue compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) for flats in the Glenwood Centre in its bid to take control of the dilapidated shopping hub and residential block.

Councillors in Glenrothes have approved plans agreed in October for CPOs for the remaining Glenwood homes as part of an ambitious programme of regeneration.

Of the 24 flats, three are still occupied by council tenants, seven are privately let and one is owner-occupied.

John Flaherty, the council’s housing manager for Glenrothes, confirmed to members of the town’s area committee that the remaining council tenants and the owneroccupier will be awarded 100 urgent housing points, which will take them to the top of the council’s waiting list.

The tenants and owner-occupier will also be given a discretionary disturbance payment of £1,000 and a statutory home loss payment of £1,500, minus any deductions for council debt.

Mr Flaherty said: “Estates officers have, since August 2018, managed to buy back only one of the properties in the block but remain in negotiation with the remaining owners.

“We hope the awarding of housing points and payments will now speed up the process.”

He said residents now have the confidence they will be moving to a permanent new home that meets their housing needs.