Structure of the Act Pressured areas: amendments
165.Section 142 amends the existing pressured area provision in section 61B of the 1987 Act to extend the maximum designation period from 5 to 10 years, to allow particular housing types as well as particular areas to be designated as pressured and to allow local authorities (rather than Scottish Ministers) to designate, revoke or amend pressured area and housing type designations, without requiring Scottish Ministers’ approval.
166.Subsection (2) amends section 61C of the 1987 Act and sets out the process which local authorities should follow when designating a pressured area or housing type. Before making, amending or revoking a designation, local authorities have to take such steps as are reasonable to publicise its proposal to make, amend or revoke designations and its reasons for so proposing. They must consult every RSL holding houses for housing purposes in the part of their area covered by the proposals and such bodies representing the interests of tenants and other residents in that part and such other persons as the authority thinks fit. Local authorities proposing to make, amend or revoke pressured area or housing type designations should have regard to guidance issued by Scottish Ministers about how they should do it, the information they should take into account before doing so and the terms of such designations.