Glasgow housing department to be wound up after transfer

Under the Labour party group plans, which still need approval by the full council, the department's various functions would be divided among at least three other departments after the completion of stock transfer.

The 80,000 homes are set to transfer to Glasgow Housing Association by the end of November. However, because of delays in appointing a lead funder, the transfer is not expected to go ahead before the end of the year.

Responsibility for housing strategy will pass to the council's development and regeneration department and homelessness to the social work department, it is understood. Administration of the council's housing benefit system has already been taken over by the financial services department.

No redundancies are expected and the council's 2300 housing staff are likely to be told where their jobs will be located in the coming weeks. More than 1600 are expected to move to jobs with Glasgow Housing Association.

Critics have complained that the council's housing strategy role will not remain independent.

But a council source said experienced planning staff will be retained.

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive brushed off fears that Glasgow's housing strategy could suffer as a result. He said the 2001 Housing (Scotland) Act required all local authorities to undertake an assessment of housing needs and conditions in their areas and produce a local housing strategy and that the Scottish Executive was "fully confident that Glasgow City Council will fulfil that role".