Council disposals to create more social homes and support local businesses

Glasgow City Council today (14 March) approved off-market disposals of five properties and a piece of land all owned by the council to provide new social rented homes, support the growth of local businesses and raise £1,022,500 for public funds.

A compulsory purchase order (CPO) for a house in the Sandyhills area was also approved, adding to the city's social housing stock.

The first disposal approved was for a 0.2acre site at Shawbridge Street in Pollokshaws to allow yard and parking space for newly-formed workshop units. The council will receive £20,000 for this land from City Property Glasgow Investments Limited.

Another approved disposal was for the former schoolhouse of St Paul's Primary at 1333 Dumbarton Road - the three-bedroom bungalow with garden will be purchased for £200,000 from the council by Whiteinch and Scotstoun Housing Association and then used as social housing.

Also approved was the disposal of a flat at 55 Walton Street in Shawlands, to Southside Housing Association, which will pay the council £150,000 and use the flat for social housing.

The next approval was the former Davislea Care Home - to Linthouse Housing Association - at Mallaig Road in Drumoyne. The vacant building is in a very poor condition, and the housing association will demolish it to build 25 homes for social rent on the site and pay the council £87,500.

The council has also disposed of the former two-storey, three-bedroom janitor's house (pictured above) for Whitehill Secondary on Onslow Drive to Milnbank Housing Association for £225,000, with the existing protected tenancy to remain.

The final disposal is for a ground-floor and basement flat at 46 Melville Street in Pollokshields, with the council receiving £340,000 from Southside Housing Association.

The CPO of the house at 35 Strowan Crescent in Sandyhills will allow the semi-detached property to be transferred to West of Scotland Housing Association, who will undertake the necessary repairs and refurbishment before making it available as a family home for social rent.

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Convener for Neighbourhood Assets at Glasgow City Council, said: "Once again, we have shown that by working with our partners across the city, we can bring vacant and underused properties and sites back to life and offer much-needed homes for social rent.  We are in the midst of a housing emergency, and the continuation of our work on this will not only give more people a home, but also raise funds for the council in a time of challenging public finances."