Working group set up on Renfrewshire housing

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A high level delegation from Renfrewshire Council has met with communities minister Rhona Brankin to discuss the council's housing options in the wake of last October's narrow rejection by Renfrewshire tenants of housing stock transfer proposals.

At the meeting, councillors and the minister agreed to set up a joint working group with officials from the Council, the Scottish Executive and Communities Scotland to assess options on how the council can meet the Scottish housing quality standard which all social housing landlords must meet by 2015. The working group will report back to the council and the minister around August 2007.

Renfrewshire Council has said it is 'determined' to meet the housing standard but its housing debt of £175m, together with high rents and high investment needs, makes that very difficult to achieve.

Renfrewshire Council leader, Jim Harkins was joined by councillors Tommy Williams, Iain McMillan and John Kenny at the meeting in Edinburgh with Rhona Brankin.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Jim Harkins said that the meeting had been, "very constructive". He added,"There was a good understanding of the Council's difficult financial position and the minister is committed to working closely with us to jointly develop options regarding how Renfrewshire Council can meet the Scottish housing quality standard".

Councillor Iain McMillan, convener of Renfrewshire Council's housing board, said, "Our meeting with the minister is a good first step. Clearly there is a long way to go. However, it is good news that our proposal for a joint working group has been agreed. Along with the Scottish Executive and Communities Scotland, we can now look at the Council's situation in depth and hopefully come up with an affordable way forward. The minister agreed to consider any innovative approaches which the joint working group might identify."

Communities minister, Rhona Brankin said she was pleased with the outcome of the meeting and recognised that a joint working group was a step in the right direction. She added, "There is a great deal of work facing the council as it assesses how best to meet the Scottish housing quality standard and we in the Executive are happy to help in identifying and assessing potential options. Finding a solution to Renfrewshire's housing problems is likely to involve some tough decisions for the Council, but I am sure that we can work together constructively to the benefit of Renfrewshire's tenants".

Press release: Monday 12 March 2007