This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Communities Scotland relocation
15/06/2005
Around 100 Edinburgh-based Communities Scotland posts will transfer to Glasgow by the end of 2007, it was confirmed today.
The posts involved are in the agency's community regeneration, housing investment and regulation & inspection teams.
They are among the 280 Communities Scotland posts based in Edinburgh and 500 posts in total throughout Scotland.
Answering a Parliamentary Question, Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm said:
"Communities Scotland is a key delivery arm of the Executive and its recently published Corporate Plan sets out the vital role that it has in delivering our housing and regeneration policies.
"Communities Scotland has about 500 staff working from eight locations around Scotland, of whom about 220 are currently based outside Edinburgh. The remaining staff are located in three offices in Edinburgh City Centre engaged on a range of national, local and headquarters functions.
"In line with our relocation policy we have been considering the location of these Edinburgh functions and have concluded that 100-110 posts engaged on housing investment, community regeneration and regulation and inspection of social landlords will transfer from Edinburgh to Glasgow by the end of 2007. The headquarters of Communities Scotland will remain in Edinburgh, together with a local office.
"I acknowledge the impact this decision will have on the staff involved and Communities Scotland management are in discussions with staff. However, I believe that this plan has considerable benefits in bringing our service delivery closer to stakeholders."
Communities Scotland is the Scottish Executive's housing and regeneration agency. It works with others to ensure decent housing and strong communities across Scotland.
The 500 Communities Scotland staff are based in eight locations throughout Scotland - Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paisley, Hamilton, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and Ayr.
Scottish Ministers have a policy of decentralisation and dispersal to bring the benefits of public sector jobs to areas of social or economic need. This relocation policy applies to new units or agencies which are being created, and to established units being re-organised. Moving jobs closer to stakeholders and to areas where running costs are lower will also help deliver efficiency savings in line with the efficient government policy.