The Highland Council is applying to the Scottish Government for permission to extend the freeze on the right to buy council houses to ease housing pressures.

If the council is successful with its application, 89% of its housing stock of 13,602 properties will be covered by the suspension, leaving only areas of Caithness, outwith the Thurso settlement zone, not covered.

This means that anyone with a Scottish Secure Tenancy that started in their current home on or after 30 September 2002 ( and who therefore has ‘Modernised Right to Buy’ entitlements) would have their Right to Buy suspended unless they live in Caithness outside of Thurso and its small neighbouring communities of Forss; Geise; Glengolly; Janetstown; Scrabster; Weydale).

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This includes tenants who have been given a new tenancy through a transfer, mutual exchange or succession. Tenants with preserved Right to Buy (RTB) entitlements are unaffected.

A report presented to the Housing and Social Work Committee stated: “If the Right to Buy continues unabated in Highland’s communities and is not stemmed then, because of the projected extent of housing need and the anticipated limited amount of affordable housing investment resulting in relatively few new social rented houses being built, the shortages are likely to be exacerbated by tenants in the area exercising their Right to Buy.

“As well as resulting in an increase in households living in unsuitable housing and unacceptable conditions, this will lead to increased homelessness alongside less housing to resolve homelessness.”

(GK)