Agenda item

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which highlighted the ongoing situation regarding subsidence which was affecting 52 flatted properties in Erroll Place and Erroll Street outlining the four options considered in terms of dealing with the subsidence and recommended the most economically viable option.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee, subject to the agreement of the private owners within the affected properties –

(a)      approve the option to demolish the flats in Erroll Place and Erroll Street.  This being the most economically viable method of dealing with the subsidence impacting on all properties on the site;

(b)      instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to allocate sufficient funding within the Housing Revenue Account and Housing Capital Programme for 2019/20 and 2020/21 to meet the various costs involved in undertaking the demolition of flats in Erroll Place and Erroll Street;

(c)      approve a priority status for current tenants residing at the site to be permanently rehoused in alternative housing with the following provisions:

(1)    approve the provision of payments equivalent to a Home Loss Payment and Disturbance Payments to tenants when they move with immediate effect;

(2)    approve that families who have male and female children currently sharing a bedroom can be rehoused in larger accommodation to meet their future needs.

(3)    delegate authority to the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to place tenants on the Urgent List with the highest priority (and further prioritised by the length of their current tenancy)  and give flexibility in terms of areas of choice, house sizes and number of offers;

(4)    note that with immediate effect, all void properties across the city will initially be considered for offer to appropriate tenants whose homes are impacted by the recommendations contained within this report;  

(5)    delegate authority to the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to negotiate with the said private owners in Erroll Place and Erroll Street and conclude agreements to purchase their properties at a price that would include compensation, capped legal fees and all other cost that they may properly and reasonably incur;

(6)    delegate authority to the Chief Officer - Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to consider tenants for alternative types of housing appropriate to their needs; and

(d)      approve the funding for the creation of a fixed term post, for a period of two years, of Housing Officer to manage the rehousing of residents, noting that recruitment of this post will be subject to the approval of the Establishment Control Board.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       approve recommendations (a), (b) and (c) outlined above;

(ii)      approve the funding, from the Housing Revenue Account, for the creation of a seconded post, for the duration of the proposed project of Housing Officer to manage the rehousing of residents through the redeployment of existing resources to backfill vacancies, noting that recruitment of this post will be subject to the approval of the Establishment Control Board; and

(iii)      approve the issuing of a letter at the earliest possible time, following a decision on the recommendations, to all residents explaining the decision of the committee and what actions will be taken to support the residents impacted by that decision and subject to minor amendments outlined at the meeting relating to them seeking their own professional/legal advice.