Issue - meetings

Cllr Currie notified to committee that the Council has declared a housing emergency for Argyll and Bute and encouraged all partners to attend a Council housing summit that is due to be held in October / November to agree action on how this can be addressed. Morag added that as housing has been identified as a priority in the ABOIP consultation and this can be taken forward by the CPP MC in reference to the work of the Strategic Housing Forum, which Morag attends, for good practice examples on how other public sector partners are engaging on this subject. 

Lynn noted she had had recent discussions with Pippa on the challenges associated with the area housing for employees. Police Scotland have existing housing estate that they may seek to sell but felt that needed to be approached as a collective to try to identify how any available housing stock from partner organisations can be reutilised by other partners, rather than falling into the private market. Joe gave an example of this and noted that the new fire station in Salen, Mull will be created from the refurbishment of a no longer required NHS building. Had that property gone to the open market it is unlikely the Fire Service would have been able to acquire it.

John advised that the scheduled timing of the housing summit dovetails well with the ABOIP timescale and welcomed input from the Strategic Housing Forum in advance of the summit.

ACTION - CPP team to meet with representative from Strategic Housing Forum to get input in advance of the Council housing summit.

Joe agreed radical ideas are need to solve the housing issues in the area to support people to stay and work here.