South Ayrshire Council defends six-week turnaround for letting out empty council housing

dailyrecord.co.uk:

South Ayrshire Council takes around six weeks to re-let its empty homes, it has been announced.In 2021/22, the average re-let time was 41.9 days which was an improvement on the previous year’s 51.4 days (7.3 weeks) and the national average of seven weeks.Pressed for an explanation for long delays by Councillor Lee Lyons at Tuesday’s cabinet, council housing manager Michael Alexander said one of the major challenges they have faced is in dealing with utility companies where there are issues with meters.Another factor, he said, was a policy that the council had put into effect during the pandemic which prioritised work on housing accepted by people presenting as homeless.Cllr Lyons said that six weeks could be a ‘life-changing wait’ for families and could result in them having to move into temporary accommodation.Mr Alexander responded: “There are a number of processes involved when a property becomes empty.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.“One of the particular difficulties we are experiencing is the interaction with utility companies.“Where perhaps there are problems where meters are in debit, and there is no power in properties, getting the utility companies to respond is a barrier we are coming up against.”He said the issue was one being face nationally and was a factor in the council being able to enter a property to start work.Mr Alexander also explained