A motion to declare a housing emergency in Angus has been rejected by the area’s ruling SNP group.
It voted against a bid by Brechin Independent councillor Jill Scott to call for extra government help after the authority had to slash its housing investment budget by £9 million this year.
Ms Scott said Angus was facing spiralling numbers of empty homes, a lack of new builds and the devastating knock-on of events like Storm Babet.
And a colleague who last year said some Angus tenants were living in “third-world conditions” doubled down on her criticism of council housing services.
Arbroath councillor Lois Speed said it “could be centuries” before the authority is able to tackle council housing waiting lists on its own.
But the ruling SNP group said it did not believe declaring a housing emergency would make any “tangible difference” to Angus tenants.
In March, Fife became the fourth council in Scotland to declare a housing emergency.
It followed Glasgow, Edinburgh and Argyll and Bute.
‘Not a political issue’
Ms Scott told a full meeting of the council she was “shocked” not to receive administration backing for her motion.
Ms Scott said: “This is not political, I’m not here to point the finger of blame.
“But we know there are issues, and the residents of Angus know there are issues.
She said the authority was behind the number of new builds required in Angus.
Empty council houses are costing huge sums in lost rent, she said.
“There are 316 voids across Angus – each of these is a home someone desperately needs,” said Ms Scott.
And she suggested that equated to around £20,000 a week in lost income.
“£9m has gone from the SHIP (strategic housing investment plan). If that isn’t an emergency I don’t know what is,” she said.
“If we are truly going to help people we need government money.”
Arbroath Independent Lois Speed said people were living in homes which were “not fit for purpose”.
Last year, Ms Speed claimed some Angus tenants were living in “third-world conditions”.
“People are not able to meet their most basic needs, such as having a proper wash or a shower,” she told Thursday’s full council.
“It will not be years or decades, but centuries until we are able to tackle waiting list times.”
Administration oppose emergency declaration
Montrose councillor Kenny Braes led the ruling group’s rejection of the motion.
“This sounds really brutal to use the word rejection because there isn’t any difference in our sentiment regards housing in Angus and our desire to see improvements in all aspects of it.
“We don’t believe that, in our particular circumstances, declaring a housing emergency will make any tangible difference to our ability to improve the housing of our tenants, nor the prospects of those in Angus who seek housing,” he said.
“Everyone in this chamber and our housing service accepts that voids are at an unacceptable level and have been for a number of years.”
He said steps to speed up repairs were being taken and a housing improvement plan will come to councillors next month.
“Asking (officers) to create any new action plan would duplicate effort and weaken our resource to implement our new housing improvement plan.
“That’s the last thing anyone in our housing service needs.
“Particularly our frontline staff whose dedication and commitment during Storm Babet and every day since has been quite remarkable and I again salute them for it.
“We can’t agree to Cllr Scott’s motion, but I’m glad she brought it forward.
“It’s a stark reminder to me that, whilst I’ve always made it clear I’d like a more collegiate and collaborative approach to all matters housing, perhaps I haven’t been proactive enough in seeking that collaboration across the chamber.”
The motion to declare a housing emergency in Angus was defeated by 14 votes to 11.
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