Decision details

The Council resolved:-

(i)             to welcome the Cabinet Secretary for Housing’s invitation to the Council to bid for £10 million, note the Cabinet Secretary’s meeting with Co-leaders on 22 October 2025, and note the Cabinet Secretary’s verbal assurance of additional resources;

(ii)           to agree in principle, and subject to compliance with the Council’s statutory duties, to make improved and final offers to affected homeowners for the voluntary acquisition of their properties, using the Capital Fund, the Council approved funding solution, such offers to comprise the following:-

(a) market value of the property

(b) legal and professional fees

(c) an additional payment to homeowners on the following basis:

(i) 4 bedroom properties - £44,000

(ii) 3 bedroom properties - £37,000

(iii) 1 bedroom properties - £20,000

(d) the above in (c) will include all other disbursements and claims including but not restricted to moving costs and home loss payments.

In addition to agree in principle, and subject to compliance with the Council’s statutory duties, a balancing payment to those who have already concluded missives or sold their property to the Council to ensure that they are in an equivalent financial position (reflecting payments that have already been made) to those who have not already concluded missives or sold their property to the Council; and

(iii)          to instruct the Chief Executive to seek advice from External Audit around Best Value (BV) considerations relating to the proposal outlined above, and to report to the Finance and Resources Committee, 5 November 2025, or Urgent Business Committee at the earliest opportunity, such report to include:-

a.      the implications and full costs of offering affected homeowners the offer at point (ii) above including the mechanism and a recommended timescale for making such offers; and

b.      the External Audit advice referred to above.