Largs man says housing policy 'stinks' in North Ayrshire

Frank Alexander made the comments at a recent town meeting at the Vikingar following claims that people from Port Glasgow and Greenock have been allocated housing in the town.

Councillor Alan Hill said that it was a difficult situation in terms of allocating houses, and told the News: "The problem is how would you go about doing it - what makes you a Largs resident, and how does that give you extra points over someone else?

"How long do you live in Largs - six months, a year? What gives you points over someone else because you come from Largs?

"It is far too difficult to be able to allocate on that basis. It is impossible to award housing points on where you live.

"Points are allocated on need, medical need, the housing conditions that they are currently living in, overcrowding issues etc. The council has set procedures and people are allocated in groups and they are awarded housing based on this system."

However, Mr Alexander profoundly disagreed and said: "As far as housing allocation in North Ayrshire is concerned, the policy stinks.

Frank Alexander blasted council housing policy at meeting (Image: NAC)

"I believe that it is not within the bounds of possibility that members of our families who are born and brought up in Largs should be allocated points, and at the moment, they get nothing.

"I don't accept what Cllr Alan Hill is saying, that it is too difficult. It is not difficult."

Andy Adair said: "I don't see how people from Inverclyde are given housing over people who are born and bred in North Ayrshire and from here."

Former Largs Community Council chairman, Douglas Blair, said: "I think there has to be a degree of reality and compassion for people who need help and support.

"This idea that this is for Largs and this is for here, is parochialism, if you need a house you need a house. There has to be a points system which is proven to be fair."

Chairman Jim Phillips said: "But that is the problem, it is not fair."

However, Mr Blair said it was important that a points system was in action as otherwise places would suffer complaints of 'favouritism'.

One woman also told how a Ukrainian family had been staying with them and had settled in Largs over recent years including a daughter who went to Largs Academy, and pointed out North Ayrshire Council instead recently allocated housing for the family in Irvine, which she said was 'very uncaring' after 'everything they had been through'.

Questions were also asked about the new housing development at St Mary's Primary School being allocated to asylum seekers.

We reported last year that North Ayrshire Council has secured £4 million in Scottish Government funding to build 26 homes on the site of the former school, with ward councillors being consulted on the move.

Cllr Hill told the meeting that only a couple of homes at the site would be allocated to asylum seekers as part of the funding stipulation.

Cllr Murdoch added that all the issues raised at the meeting could be addressed by the council housing officer, and Largs Community Council agreed to invite the officer to a forthcoming meeting to discuss the concerns raised.

According to North Ayrshire housing allocation policy, the housing group needs are 1) homeless, 2) strategic housing needs, 3) accessibility needs, 4) transfer applicants, 5) overcrowding applicants, and 6) general needs. To be placed in groups three, four, five or six, you must either live in North Ayrshire or meet the legal qualifying conditions if you live outwith North Ayrshire.

Anyone living outwith North Ayrshire must: be employed, or have been offered a job in North Ayrshire; want to move into North Ayrshire to look for employment; want to move into North Ayrshire to be near a relative or carer; have special social or medical reasons for needing to live in North Ayrshire; or be suffering from harassment or domestic abuse.

There is also group seven, entitled relocation needs, which is specifically for people who live outwith North Ayrshire and do not meet the legal qualifying conditions.

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “The North Ayrshire Housing Allocation Policy is a needs-based policy, with higher priority given to certain groups as set out in allocation law. The area in which an applicant currently

resides is not an indicator of their housing need. However, approximately 49% of applicants currently identified as having a housing need who have requested the Largs area already reside in the North Coast. It is, therefore, likely that a significant number of the allocations will be made to local residents.

“Applications are processed in accordance with the North Ayrshire Housing Register Allocation Policy and points are awarded based on an applicant’s current housing circumstances.”