Aberdeenshire Council officers could be handed new powers to buy property in a bid to tackle the huge waiting list for affordable homes.
About 10,000 people are currently on the local authority’s waiting list for a home.
Now infrastructure chief Stephen Archer has asked councillors to grant his officers new powers to fast track the acquisition of new homes.
In a report which will be presented at a meeting of full council later this week, Mr Archer sets out the new powers.
“Housing aims to deliver good affordable quality housing across a vast range of services including: addressing homelessness, meeting the energy efficiency standards for social housing by 2020, and increasing the supply of affordable housing,” he states.
“In order to ensure our continued commitment to achieving these aims it is necessary to review and refresh the fast track protocol to purchase affordable housing.”
Under the proposed powers, Mr Archer and designated members of his team would be licensed to buy properties on the open market to meet affordable housing needs as long as key members of the housing committee are consulted.
This would include consulting with the chairwoman and vice-chairman of the social work and housing committee, as well as the opposition’s housing spokeswoman. Councillors from the affected ward would also need to be notified.
Mr Archer added: “No properties will be progressed without an appropriate budget having been identified and secured.”
The move follows a £7.5million budget underspend by Aberdeenshire’s housing team in the last financial year.
A significant slice of the money was returned to the local authority’s coffers when housebuilder Muirfield Contracts collapsed. The firm was overseeing flagship housing developments in Fraserburgh and Inverurie.
At a meeting of the housing committee earlier this year, chairwoman Anne Allan described the underspend as a “blip” and reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to building and buying new homes.
Councillors are expected to grant the new house purchase fast track powers when they meet for full council at Woodhill House on Thursday.
