Friday February 13th 2026
Glasgow City Chambers
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Sarah Hilley
Housing bosses at Glasgow City Council are planning to offer a property under compulsory purchase to private developers for the first time.
Usually the council carries out compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) to force owners to sell properties – which are then acquired by housing associations for affordable homes.
But an official said there are a “significant” number of properties in city areas where social landlords do not operate.
The city’s Operational Performance and Delivery Scrutiny Committee heard on Wednesday how there are 2000 private properties that have been empty for more than a year in the city.
The council official told the committee that the local authority is poised to use a compulsory purchase order for the first time without “a back to back agreement with a Registered Social Landlord (RSL).”
He added: “This is one we are looking to get committee authority to go out to private developers with – because there are a significant number of properties in areas – out with areas of operation of RSLs.”
He also pointed out how there are also “properties needing considerable work that are not well suited to RSLs.”
The officer was responding to questions from committee chair Labour Councillor Soryia Siddique asking for an update on plans to make the CPO process more streamlined and on the potential introduction of compulsory sales orders.
It is understood compulsory sales orders (CSOs) would see abandoned properties sold without councils having to purchase them – but the power is not available in Scotland yet.
Responding to councillor Siddique, the official said: “Glasgow overwhelmingly supports the introduction of compulsory sales orders. It adds another tool to try and tackle these properties.”
He added: “Realistically we hope the CPO process will get further streamlined and things will get easier – hopefully we will get to the position that local authorities can confirm their own CPOs. We won’t have to go to the Scottish Government to do that.
“In terms of compulsory sales orders Glasgow is looking for different ways to tackle problems. We realise we can’t do everything through compulsory purchase orders.”
The update on empty homes was discussed during a presentation on the council’s strategic plan performance on the challenge to “deliver essential services in a sustainable, innovative and efficient way for our communities.”
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