Tenants in Angus, whose homes are under-occupied, are to be given a financial incentive to downsize.

The move will help the Council make better use of its housing stock by encouraging tenants with more bedrooms than they need to move to a smaller property.

The Downsizing Incentive Scheme was first implemented on 1 April 2011 and ran until the 31 March 2013 and was found to have a positive impact on both under occupation and overcrowding levels within the council's housing stock.

An analysis of the scheme found:

• 86% of recipients advised that they had moved due to their current property being too big
• 14% of recipients moved due to mobility issues
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• 53 households had successfully downsized their property
• further tenants could also benefit from the scheme.

At a meeting of the council's Neighbourhood Services committee, it was agreed to make some changes to the scheme to allow more tenants to downsize. Under the initiative, the grant will now provide a sliding scale of £1,500 for those downsizing three or more bedrooms, £1,250 for those downsizing two bedrooms and £1,000 for those downsizing one bedroom, with an additional allowance of up to £500 for each applicant to cover removal and relocation costs.

Councillor Donald Morrison, Convener of the Neighbourhood Services Committee, said: "This scheme gives a financial incentive for tenants to give up homes which are too large for them and which have bedrooms they rarely or never use and move to a smaller property where the rent is cheaper and heating bills are lower.

"By doing so they are freeing up larger properties which are increasingly in demand by those on the council house waiting list.

"The council cannot, and would not wish to, force tenants who are under occupying their homes to move against their will.

"What the council does wish to do is to encourage those tenants who are under-occupying properties to move, with assistance both financial and practical."

(JP/CD)