Councillors in South Lanarkshire have approved a new strategy to deliver more affordable homes over the next five years.
At the Housing and Technical Resources Committee meeting on October 5, elected members approved a new Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for the period from 2023 to 2028.
The SHIP is a five-year rolling plan which links the strategic priorities identified in South Lanarkshire’s Local Housing Strategy to deliver extra affordable housing.
Councillors approved the strategy which includes projects with a potential capacity for delivering up to 2561 homes in South Lanarkshire over the next five years.
Chairman of the committee, Councillor Davie McLachlan, said: “The SHIP, and indeed our own Home+ programme, have a broad remit and an ambition to help transform lives through the provision of affordable, accessible, and safe homes.
“Given the undoubted challenges of the last few years, the continuing success in that area, as reported to us at the meeting, is an indicator of the hard work and commitment of all involved.
“Having an annual update coming in front of the committee is also a beneficial way to ensure we stay on course while giving us the chance to record and share important milestones on the journey to date.
“I am delighted to oversee the approval of the next rolling phase of the SHIP 2023-28 which again underlines our ongoing commitment to making sure that we improve our ability to meet the housing needs of the diverse communities of South Lanarkshire.”
Over the last year, the council has delivered 362 affordable homes for rent over the last year with a further 189 built by the registered social landlord sector.
Councillor Andrea Cowan (Rutherglen Central and North), questioned the council’s policy on buying back homes.
She said: “I wanted to talk a bit about the council’s buy back policy and how successful or otherwise it is.
"Earlier in this meeting it was outlined that there is £2.37m allocated for buy backs, but it looks that in five months none of it has been spent and that looks to me as if there’s an issue that we should be making more of the buy backs.
“It’s clear from the policy that if you want to sell your home back to the council you are required to put it back on to the open market. Putting them on the open market, private landlords can buy homes, it’s a missed opportunity.
"So what I would really ask is that the policy be reviewed.”
Council officers stated that the buy back scheme does provide a cost effective way to increase stock. This year to date, the council has bought back 16 homes out of a target of 60.
The current policy states that properties should be on the open market unless they are a long term empty property.
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