The Regulator took action to investigate after residents of the Tarvit Mill Gypsy/Traveller site reported serious concerns about a lengthy delay to the redevelopment of the site, serious issues with the quality of the decant accommodation including health and safety concerns and lack of communication from the council about the issues they had raised.   

Publishing an updated engagement plan for the council today, the Regulator said it found Fife Council had failed to meet its obligations under the Scottish Social Housing Charter and that the decant site did not meet the Scottish Government’s Minimum Site Standards.  

The council has accepted the Regulator’s findings and is working constructively to address the residents’ concerns and deliver the necessary improvements.

Since the Regulator began engaging with the council it has progressed a number of remedial actions and improvements to the decant site and has begun redevelopment work on the main site.

George Walker, chair of the Regulator, said: “Bringing a serious concern to us is an important way for social housing tenants to tell us about serious problems they are experiencing, where their landlord regularly and repeatedly fails to achieve the regulatory requirements for social housing and this failure affects a group of the social landlord’s tenants. 

“We took action to investigate after residents at Tarvit Mill Gypsy/Traveller site reported serious concerns around lengthy delays to re-development work, issues with the quality of decant accommodation and a lack of communication.  

“We will continue to engage with Fife Council as it works to address the failings and make the necessary improvements for residents at its site.”

John Mills, Fife Council’s head of housing services said: “We recognise that there have been significant delays in the delivery of this major housing improvement project at our Tarvit Mill site, near Cupar.

“The council’s housing, property and building services are driving forward the improvements so that we can rehouse tenants in new chalet accommodation by April 20205. We’re working closely with tenants to keep them updated of progress. The Regulator will also meet with the council and tenants to ensure that progress continues to be made.”