Agenda item

With reference to the minute of the reconvened special Council meeting of 28 October 2025, the Council had before it a report by the Executive Director - Families and Communities which, in relation to RAAC, considered the instruction received by the Council and identified the further instructions that officers would require to deliver on the wishes of the Council.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)           recognise that this continues to be a difficult situation for homeowners and welcome the continued offer of mental health support from SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) for those affected by this situation;

(b)           note that the full additional costs associated with making the enhanced offer to homeowners as indicated in the instruction from Council of 28 October 2025 will be circa £5m;

(c)           note that this is an unprecedented situation and that there is a need to resolve the matter to help homeowners be safe and enable long term redevelopment of the site and associated benefits to the HRA in the longer term;

(d)           note the Best Value aspects from paragraph 3.24 of the report;

(e)           note the outcome of consultation with External Audit outlined in paragraph 3.95 of the report;

(f)            note that officers consider the proposal to be within the Council’s powers under section 20 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, subject to Council determining that this complies with Best Value; 

(g)           instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to contact all affected parties from whom the Council has voluntarily acquired RAAC affected properties and to offer them a further discretionary payment, on a like for like basis to those that have yet to complete their sale, as identified in this report, strongly suggesting they seek independent advice with regard to the impact an additional payment would have on their personal tax and/or benefits position, and thereafter make payments to those accepting the offer, on the basis highlighted in this report;

(h)           instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to formally advise all RAAC affected homeowners of a revised Voluntary Acquisition proposal where the Council will now agree a payment to voluntary acquire properties on the following basis:-

(i)             The Market Value of their property

(ii)           Payment of all reasonably and properly incurred professional fees

(iii)          An additional discretionary payment as follows:-

a.  4 bedroom properties - forty four thousand pounds sterling

b.  3 bedroom properties - thirty seven thousand pounds sterling

c.   1 bedroom properties - twenty thousand pounds sterling;

(i)             instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to advise owners that this is the best and final offer to be made to homeowners, is a full and final settlement payment and that this reflects previous elements of home loss payment or other disbursement costs;

(j)             instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to request that homeowners intimate their wish to engage in the voluntary acquisition process by 10 December 2025 to allow a valuation of the property to be undertaken, with the full offer open to formal acceptance by 30 March 2026, with formal conclusion of the offer within 3 months of acceptance. Thereafter instruct the Chief Officer - Governance to conclude the acquisition of properties on this basis;

(k)           instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord following consultation with the Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, only to extend these timescales where there is a good reason to do so;

(l)             instruct the Chief Officer - Finance to utilise the Capital Fund to release funding to make payments to homeowners who wish to voluntarily sell their property to the Council and note the Chief Officer - Finance will report on the use of any fiscal flexibilities provided by Scottish Ministers to support that expenditure in the Quarter 4 Financial Performance report;

(m)         note that the house swap option remains available to homeowners;

(n)           delegate authority to the Chief Officer - Housing to determine the necessity for a separate RAAC Impact Housing List, recognising that owners impacted by RAAC will continue to have access to Housing Options advice in line with the Council’s  Allocation Policy; and   

(o)           instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to formally report back to Council in June 2026 on the progress made and the available options to achieve the strategic objective of a developable site to include masterplanning impacts and CPO options. Further request that Service Updates be provided as key milestones are met.

Councillor Radley moved, seconded by Councillor Greig:-

That the Committee approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Malik moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Blake:-

          That the Committee -

(1)       note the report;

(2)       agree that the Chief Executive write to the Editor of the Press and Journal to thank him, Lindsay Bruce and the newspaper for their work on RAAC,  which contributed to the Press and Journal securing the News Media Association’s Making a Difference award;

(3)       agree that the report of 29 February 2024, referenced at section 3.29, was rushed and agreed by the SNP in panic, without full information and with no reference to section 20 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 (as amended);

(4)       agree that Aberdeen Labour and other Opposition Leaders repeatedly drew the SNP’s attention to the powers available under section 20 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 (as amended), and that the SNP voted against using these powers on every occasion;

(5)       note the Best Value Theme - Governance and Accountability section, which cites a high degree of transparency and Member scrutiny; agree that such scrutiny was made possible only because Opposition Members used statutory powers to bring the SNP administration back to Council to set a RAAC position;

(6)       agree that, notwithstanding recommendation (b), section 3.49 confirms the total cost to the General Fund could be circa £20.4m should Council approve the recommendations;

(7)       agree that section 3.58 confirms the £10m Scottish Government grant cannot be used for the purposes in the report’s recommendations, but can be used to support the 2,000 new affordable housing brought forward by Aberdeen Labour;

(8)       vehemently disagree with section 3.62 of the report, reaffirming the need for the Council to increase, not reduce, its council housing stock in line with the record of the previous administration;

(9)       believe that section 3.88 contradicts section 3.62 and, via the Risk Appetite statement at 7.2, supports Aberdeen Labour’s position to build additional council homes;

(10)    agree that section 3.95 of the report does not provide adequate assurance from External Audit, noting the phrase “External Audit has not raised any matters of major concern at this stage” - with clear emphasis on “at this stage.”;

(11)    agree that the most appropriate way to support all residents affected by RAAC - and to protect the Council from any Best Value challenge - is to approve Aberdeen Labour’s proposals as set out at the Council meeting of 28 October 2025;

(12)    note the intention to initially allocate an additional £10m from the HRA Capital programme to complement the belated £10m from the Scottish Government to fix the roofs on all homes affected by RAAC as part of the budget setting process; and

(13)    agree to set up a cross-party working group (numbers and composition to be agreed by Council) led by the Convener of the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee on how best the Council can achieve the position of retaining Council Houses, supporting owner/occupiers and ensuring that appropriate renovation of Council homes affected by RAAC are included within the HRA budget 26/27 and beyond.

On a division, there voted:-   for the motion  (4)  - Convener; Vice Convener; and Councillors Greig and Radley;  for the amendment  (2)  -  Councillors Blake and Malik;  declined to vote  (1)  -  Councillor Brooks.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.