Community’s fury as housing is sold off Homes in private hands
Anger has erupted over homes being sold off within a new council scheme.
Tenants have landed top of the range homes in the gleaming estate at Lochside - which is a source of pride to planners.
But questions have been raised about why a strip of six homes in the middle of the development are now in private hands.
Although the deal is all above board and designed to create a mixed development of private and council housing residents have criticised the move.
A resident said: “Folk in Lochside are not happy, the council housing waiting list is huge. These bungalows should house council tenants.”
Ex- miner Wallace Kerr, 64, from Dalmilling, Ayr, said: “These houses should have gone to people in the area.”
Builders are still working on the properties sitting on Victoria Crescent.
More than 5,000 people are on the council housing waiting list in South Ayrshire - described as one of the most pressured in Scotland.
Council contractor Cruden Homes bought the land from the council for the construction of a row of homes.
South Ayrshire Council housing boss David Burns said: “The original plans for this phase of the Lochside development were approved in November 2014, and allowed for a mixed development which included the sale of land to Cruden Homes for the construction of six private bungalows.
“We understand that the properties have since been sold on by Cruden, but as this was a private transaction the council did not have a role in the sales process.
“The completed development will provide high quality, energy efficient homes, and we’re confident that the people who want to live in this brand new community will have access to affordable housing that meets their needs.”