Steps to prevent 'serious shortages' of affordable housing in Stirling have been announced today by the Scottish Government.

Right to Buy has been temporarily suspended for some tenants across 35 letting areas, which have now been designated as 'pressured areas'. This will affect 39% of the social housing stock.

This follows the decision to approve Stirling Council's pressured area application and will allow the local authority to retain homes for rent for people on low incomes in areas facing social housing pressures aggravated by Right to Buy.

Stirling is the twelve local authority to have successfully applied to use the pressured area mechanism.

Minister for Housing and Communities, Alex Neil, said: "These steps, along with our plans to legislate to end the right to buy on all new build social housing, will help to safeguard investment in affordable homes and kick start a new generation of council house building.

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"Accepting Stirling Council's request to suspend Right to Buy in some areas will ease the substantial pressures facing affordable housing in the area. I would ask other local authorities to consider whether this would be a suitable measure for them."

Councillor Alasdair MacPherson, Portfolio Holder for Housing Strategy at Stirling Council said: "As part of the Pressured Area Status consultation, the majority of tenants agreed that the Council should apply to have the Right to Buy suspended and I agree with them that this is the right thing to do.”

Cllr MacPherson said that since right to buy was introduced 4734 homes, or 63% the stock, has been lost and this is a contributing factor to the homelessness crisis that they currently face.

The suspension of Right to Buy only applies to tenancies which have commenced on or after September 30, 2002. Tenants in the Stirling areas affected will have the Right to Buy their council or housing association property suspended for five years. This will immediately affect 245 tenancies, and 1,349 tenancies over the next five years.

(GK/JM)