« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Modernising Scotland's Social Housing: Consultation Report: Summary of Responses to Consultation Paper
SECTION 5: IMPROVING THE LINKS BETWEEN HOUSING AND REGENERATION; THE COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP PROGRAMME AND PARTIAL TRANSFERS
71. The consultation paper outlined the Executive's plans to improve the links between housing and wider regeneration and the funding to be made available for regeneration linked with community ownership. This was to ensure that the substantial investment resulting from stock transfer is not frustrated by a failure to tackle wider regeneration issues. To access these resources, councils will first have to be accepted on to the Community Ownership Programme. The consultation paper also announced that the financial arrangements for debt write-off which apply to whole stock transfers would be extended to partial transfers. Detailed criteria for access to the Community Ownership Programme for both whole stock and partial transfers will be announced shortly. See Table 6 for types of respondents.
Table 6-Distribution of Responses on Community Ownership and Partial Transfers
Type | Total received |
Local Authorities | 26 |
Registered Social Landlords | 6 |
Tenants' Groups | 6 |
Financial Sector | 3 |
Homelessness Groups | 3 |
Regeneration Groups | 2 |
Members of Public | 1 |
Other | 10 |
Total | 57 |
72. Respondents generally welcomed improved links between housing and wider regeneration. However, many disagreed with the proposal that access to the regeneration fund should be restricted to councils on the Community Ownership Programme. They considered that this funding should be available to all councils, regardless of whether they were pursuing the transfer option. Some respondents suggested that another substantial source of regeneration funding should be made available for councils who did not wish to transfer.
73. The extension of the debt write-off arrangements to partial transfers was generally welcomed. One respondent questioned whether a minimum threshold for access to the Community Ownership Programme was necessary, particularly in rural areas, whilst another called for flexibility in the setting of the threshold criteria to ensure groupings reflected a local sense of community.
Scottish Executive response
74. A Community Ownership Review (COR) was set up to consider how to streamline and improve the stock transfer process; it has also made recommendations regarding partial transfers and access to regeneration funding. The report " Community Ownership Review-Report of the Expert Group" is being published at the same time as this report and will be available on the Scottish Executive website at: www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/housing/coor-00.asp
« Previous | Contents | Next »