Scottish RSLs and councils meet to settle transfer differences

Scottish social housing providers met councils on Tuesday to thrash out ways of avoiding the delays that have dogged some stock transfers.

Those at the summit, held in Glasgow, have compiled a wishlist of demands to be submitted to the imminent Scottish Executive review of stock transfer.

Local authorities at the meeting included prospective transfer councils Edinburgh and the Western Isles.

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, which called the meeting, urged the Scottish Executive to change its approach in order to avoid the problems that bedevilled transfers in Glasgow, Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders and to adopt a "project management approach" to transfer.

The SFHA and local authorities argue that current guidance on stock transfer focuses too much on the question of stock valuation and fails to provide a practical schedule for councils to follow.

Angus Lamont, director of housing at Western Isles council, said: "Stock transfer is a tortuous process as things stand.

"Too much emphasis is put on considering the price of things rather than the long-term value of what is being achieved."

They have also called on the executive to do more to promote the economic benefits of stock transfer to make it easier to sell the idea to sceptical tenants.

SFHA chief executive David Orr said: "Our members are strongly in favour of the policy itself, but the process has not been working properly. Our idea is to make the process smoother and faster by setting out what should be done, when it should be done and who should do it."

Any action taken by the executive will be closely watched in England and Wales, where a similar review is on the cards.

A Scottish Executive spokesman confirmed a draft version of its review would be released for consultation later this month.