Proposed changes as to how property is managed in the Govanhill area of Glasgow has been approved by the local authority.

Under the plans, costing £9.3m, four blocks of privately-owned tenements flats would be brought into the social housing sector. The initiative aims to address issues including overcrowding, a lack of factoring arrangements, poor landlord practice and a high tenancy turnover.

With support from Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government, the flats will be bought and run by Govanhill Housing Association.

The council and housing association have established the South West Govanhill Property Acquisition and Repair Programme to tackle problem housing in the area. The initiative will identify and acquire properties while also undertaking improvement works to bring the properties up to a lettable standard.

The blocks earmarked for purchase are located between Calder Street, Allison Street and Dixon Avenue. It will focus on four tenement blocks, made up of 78 closes and a total of 579 properties.

The council is providing £5m of funding for the programme, with the Scottish Government investing £4.3m over the next two years. Glasgow City Council has also set aside £500,000 of funding to be able to address issues with properties outwith the four tenement blocks.

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It is also anticipated that Govanhill Housing Association will take on responsibility for factoring the purchased tenement blocks when they secure a majority of ownership.

Bailie Liz Cameron, Glasgow City Council's Executive Member for Economic Development, said: "We are very pleased to have reached an agreement over our investment proposal for Govanhill. It has been obvious that a longer-term solution to issues with private sector housing in Govanhill has been required for some time.

"The council has already invested substantial sums in maintaining the housing stock in the area, but it is clear that difficulties with the way property is being managed have not gone away. By securing this funding we can now implement the strategy of bringing tenement blocks into the social housing sector so they can be managed properly.

"This will help us tackle a range of issues that have affected Govanhill badly in recent years and help to make it far better place to live for residents. We will be working closely Govanhill Housing Association in the coming years to make sure these resources are targeted in the most effective way possible."

John McLardie, Chairman of Govanhill Housing Association, added: "We are delighted to be able to buy and improve property for social housing, take on factoring of closes and generally improve things for people living in the area. We're keen to see this pilot programme being a success and extended to allow us to finish the work required."

Housing Minister Margaret Burgess commented: "Since 2010, we have been working with Glasgow City Council and Govanhill Housing Association to help tackle the poor condition of some properties in South West Govanhill, resulting in the purchase of empty properties and improvement works to the back courts. We will continue to work with partners to develop a longer term strategy to tackle the problems in the area."

(JP/IT)