Sectioning off council homes is concerning

'Social apartheid' fears raised

- KAIYA MARJORIBANKS

Concerns have been raised that 'social apartheid' could be created on a housing estate on the outskirts of Bannockburn.

The first phase of the Brucefields development at South Stirling Gateway is underway, with Persimmon Homes building an initial 130 homes on the site - 36 of which are set to be council housing.

But some councillors have echoed fears raised by the local Housing Advisory Group (HAG), which includes council tenant representatives, who are worried that having all 36 council properties in one quadrant of that phase could be detrimental.

At a meeting of Stirling Council's community housing and wellbeing committee, Conservative councillor Rachel Nunn said her Tory colleagues shared the concerns.

And SNP councillor Scott Farmer said he also shared worries over clustering of the council housing.

He said: "It used to be the excuse that it was easier in terms of facilities management to manage houses in clusters but the concerns have always been social apartheid if the social housing is put into one block and if all the private sector houses are on their own.

"I don't see why it shouldn't be more interspersed to create that tenure mix as opposed to this perception of social apartheid."

Head of Housing Stephen Clark admitted there had been a "lively" discussion with HAG, which had expressed concern about the "clustering" of affordable housing on a single part of the site.