Housing (Scotland) Act 2006

75 Determination of applications

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, it is for the local authority to decide whether to approve an application for a grant or loan.

(2) On approving an application, the local authority must then determine—

(a) the approved expense in accordance with section 76, and

(b) where the application is for a grant or subsidised loan, the applicant’s contribution under section 77.

(3) A local authority may approve an application for a grant or loan only if, in its opinion, all of the conditions in subsection (4) (so far as applicable) are satisfied.

(4) Those conditions are—

(a) that the owners of any land on or premises in which the work is to be, or is being, carried out (other than land or premises proposed to be sold or leased under section 12(4) of the 1987 Act) have consented in writing to the application and to being bound by the conditions mentioned in section 83 (in so far as those conditions apply),

(b) where that work has begun, that there were good reasons for beginning it before the application was approved,

(c) that the house or houses to which the application relates will provide suitable living accommodation for such period, and conform with such requirements with respect to construction and physical condition and the provision of services and amenities, as the authority considers reasonable,

(d) that, if the house or houses to which the application relates form part of any premises containing more than one house, the work to be carried out will not prevent the improvement of any other house in the premises, and

(e) that, in the case of an application for a standard loan, the applicant is unable to obtain a sufficient loan on fair terms from a commercial lender.

(5) In subsection (4)(e)—

• “commercial lender” means a person who—

  (a)

  has permission under Part 4 of or is otherwise authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (c. 8) to pay money under a contract on terms under which it will be repaid or otherwise to provide credit,

  (b)

  is an exempt person within the meaning of that Act in relation to the activity mentioned in paragraph (a), or

  (c)

  holds a licence under Part 3 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (c. 39) to carry on a consumer credit business or consumer hire business or who, by virtue of section 21 of that Act, does not require such a licence, and

• “fair terms” means terms which, in the opinion of the local authority, are reasonable and affordable having regard to the circumstances of the applicant and the interest rates prevailing at the time the loan was applied for.

(6) Subsection (5)(a) must be read with—

(a) section 22 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000,

(b) any relevant order under that section, and

(c) Schedule 2 to that Act.

(7) The authority may, as a condition of paying the grant or loan, impose a requirement that the work to which the grant or loan relates is completed within such period (being a period of not less than 12 months) as the authority may specify or within such further period as the authority may allow.