Aberdeenshire MP Seamus Logan writes to council chief executive following decision to close sheltered housing complexes
A MP has written to the chief executive of a council after four sheltered housing complexes in his constituency are to be closed.
MP Seamus Logan took the step after he highlighted Conservative and Lib Dem Administration councillors on Aberdeenshire Council’s communities committee voted to press ahead with the closures despite widespread opposition from the affected tenants, their families and local community.
At the same meeting, a new “Enhanced Housing” model was introduced, which some sheltered housing complexes will transition to, but was previously not consulted on in any of the council’s public engagement on the issue.
Now, Mr Logan has written to the council seeking answers as to why the four complexes still earmarked for closure could not also be transitioned to the enhanced model.
He said: “While I welcome the introduction of ‘Enhanced Housing’ as an option which will see the retention of several of the sheltered housing complexes in my constituency albeit with a transition to the new model, I remain concerned at the decision to move towards closure of the other sites.
“There are questions as to why this option was introduced at the last minute, and didn’t feature in any of the public engagement meetings carried out by the council, particularly as it now seems that council officials had discussed this very model pre-pandemic, so this was not some new idea in response to feedback.
“In respect of the complexes at Portsoy, Rosehearty, Fraserburgh and St Fergus identified for closure, I am asking Aberdeenshire Council for an explanation of the barriers which, in the view of the council, prevent these from also being transitioned to the enhanced model.
“Ideally, the council should be working to overcome those barriers so that the complexes remain open, whether that be as sheltered housing, Enhanced Housing, or some other model which continues to serve the housing needs of local people.”