Neighbourhood, Housing And Communities Committee - 02/03/2026

At a MEETING of the NEIGHBOURHOOD, HOUSING AND COMMUNITIES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 2nd March, 2026.

 

Present:-

 

Lord Provost Bill CAMPBELL

Depute Lord Provost Nadia EL-NAKLA

 

BAILIES

 

Will DAWSON	Kevin KEENAN	Fraser MACPHERSON
Willie SAWERS	Helen WRIGHT	Derek SCOTT

 

COUNCILLORS

 

Heather ANDERSON	Lee MILLS	Dorothy McHUGH
Jimmy BLACK	Steven ROME	George McIRVINE
Kevin CORDELL	Lynne SHORT	Wendy SCULLIN
Mark FLYNN	Roisin SMITH	Daniel COLEMAN
Stewart HUNTER	Siobhan TOLLAND	Michael CRICHTON
Ken LYNN	Georgia CRUICKSHANK	Craig DUNCAN
	Jax FINNEGAN

 

Councillor Kevin CORDELL, Convener, in the Chair.

 

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 19th January, 2026 was held as read.

 

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

 

I DECLARATION OF INTEREST

 

There were no declarations of interest.

 

II DUNDEE HOUSING EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN

 

The Committee acceded to a request for a deputation from Mr Dan Fyffe-Jardine, Assistant Director (Communities and Services), Shelter Scotland, to address the Committee relative to this item. After the deputation had stated their case, they were thanked for their attendance and withdrew.

 

This item had been placed on the agenda at the request of Bailie Macpherson who asked that the Committee suspend Standing Order 39(1) in terms of Standing Order 42 in order to consider and approve the Dundee Housing Emergency Action Plan published by the Dundee Housing Emergency Coalition on 26th January, 2026.

 

Bailie Macpherson, seconded by Bailie Keenan, moved the undernoted:-

 

The Committee notes and welcomes the publication of the Dundee Housing Emergency Action Plan on 26th January, 2026.

 

This has been written by the Dundee Housing Emergency Coalition, a network of over thirty different organisations, charities, trade unions, civic organisations, educational institutions and others from across Dundee. The Action Plan has been informed by lived experience testimony from residents.

 

The Committee further:-

 

(i) notes that Dundee is experiencing a housing emergency which is having a profound and continuing impact on residents across our city, affecting housing affordability, availability, quality, health, wellbeing, and community stability;

 

(ii) recognises that the scale and complexity of the housing emergency requires a coordinated, sustained, and cross-party response, and that meaningful progress will depend on collaboration between the Council, partner organisations, and affected communities;

 

(iii) agrees to formally declare and endorse the Dundee Housing Emergency Action Plan as a shared framework for responding to the housing emergency in Dundee;

 

(iv) commits to working constructively and collaboratively, across political parties and groups, with the Dundee Housing Emergency Coalition and other relevant partners, to support the implementation of the Action Plan;

 

(v) agrees to request that officers bring forward proposals setting out how progress against the Action Plan will be supported, coordinated, and reviewed, including appropriate engagement with partners and communities; and

 

(vi) affirms that this declaration is not an exercise in apportioning blame, but is a statement of leadership and intent, and a commitment to working together to make a real and tangible difference for the people of Dundee who are demanding urgent action on housing.

 

As an amendment, the Convener, seconded by Councillor Short, moved the undernoted:-

 

(i) Council acknowledges the Scottish Government declared a housing emergency in 2024 following by the publication of a Housing Emergency Action Plan in 2025;

 

(ii) Council acknowledges the good work carried out every day by those within the housing department which helps meet the needs of our citizens and the parameters of the National Housing Emergency Housing Plan; and

 

(iii) Council notes the ongoing challenges faced by the City and whilst recognising that many of these challenges fall out with the remit of the Council, they nevertheless continue to add to the pressures the City faces.

 

Therefore, Dundee City Council will:-

 

(i) declare a local housing emergency;

 

(ii) remit officers to work with the relevant department within Scottish Government to ensure Dundee City Council is fully aligned with the National Action Plan; and

 

(iii) remit officers to report back to the Housing Best Value Group on progress.

 

On a division, there voted for the motion - Bailies Keenan, Wright, Macpherson and Scott and Councillors Cruickshank, Finnegan, McHugh, McIrvine, Scullin, Coleman, Crichton, and Duncan (12); and for the amendment - the Convener, Lord Provost Campbell, Depute Lord Provost El-Nakla, Bailies Dawson and Sawers and Councillors Anderson, Black, Flynn, Hunter, Lynn, Mills, Rome, Short and Tolland (14) - whereupon the amendment was declared carried and became the finding of the meeting.

 

III LOCAL HOUSING STRATEGY 2026-2030

 

There was submitted Report No 47-2026 by the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services, seeking approval of the Local Housing Strategy (LHS) 2026-2030, which set out Dundee City Councils strategic vision, priorities, actions and performance indicators for housing over the next five years. The Strategy was attached as Appendix 1 of the report.

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i) to approve the Local Housing Strategy 2026/2030;

 

(ii) to note the outcome of the public consultation undertaken between 15th December, 2025 and 9th February, 2026;

 

(iii) to note that the Scottish Government and Peer Local Authority review was ongoing and if there were significant changes subsequently proposed follow the review, that a further update would be reported to this Committee for approval; and

 

(iv) to agree that progress against LHS actions and performance indicators would be reported annually to this Committee.

 

IV ANNUAL UPDATE ON DUNDEES COMMUNITY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2024/2027

 

There was submitted Report No 43-2026 by the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Services, providing an update on the Community Learning and Development activity carried out by Dundee City Council and partners from October, 2024 to September, 2025 in delivering Dundee Partnerships CLD Plan 2024/2027.

 

The Committee agreed:-

 

(i) to note the contents of the report.

 

 

 

 

Kevin CORDELL, Convener.