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Councillors call for summit aimed at writing off housing debt

Highland Council leader Margaret Davidson.
Highland Council leader Margaret Davidson.

Senior councillors want politicians from both sides of the border to attend a summit aimed at writing-off the region’s housing debt, which is currently between £130million-£150million.

A motion going to Thursday’s full council meeting will seek support for the idea.

Council leader Margaret Davidson and seven independent group colleagues have signed it.

The group states that “the only way to progress the relief of the housing debt is to get people round the table”.

They hope to involve UK and Scottish government ministers and Highland MPs and MSPs.

The councillors are intent on achieving what many of their predecessors failed to do over a period of years, hoping to rid the local authority of the shackles of the debt and provide an instant boost for the region’s economy.

Council leader Margaret Davidson said: “If we could free up the housing debt we could use the money to build many more council houses.

“Housing is a huge issue in the Highlands and we need to address it.”

The debt began to accumulate in the 1970s when housing demand soared in Inverness and Easter Ross due to the booming oil industry.

Colleagues signing up to the motion are Roddy Balfour, Janet Campbell, Mike Finlayson, Michael Green, Richard Greene, Allan Henderson and Graham Ross.