Band puts on his final performance for Perthshire Housing Association

Sep 11 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE annual meeting of the Perthshire Housing Association was the swansong for long-serving chairman Tom Band.

While the fallout from the credit crunch and a cash squeeze has impacted on the association’s work locally, Mr Band seized the opportunity to highlight a remarkable Big County success story.

When he first joined the board, PHA had 79 houses under management. Now, 16 years down the line the Association has over 1600 houses under its control, with a further 98 being built or in the pipeline.

Mr Band said this was a formidable rate of growth and provision of housing.

Presenting his final annual report, Mr Band said: “In the course of the past year, the Association has continued to provide new housing in Perthshire.

“Our commitment to the redevelopment of Muirton continues apace. The second phase of new housing is nearing completion and tenants are moving into their new homes.

“The physical progress in redeveloping the estate is being matched by a growing air of optimism amongst residents.”

Commenting on the fall-out from the recession, he said: “We rely on borrowing both for bridging finance whilst developing our new houses and for long term borrowing to finance our investments in new homes.

“The hiatus caused by the crisis has slowed up our programme to a significant extent.

“The continuing shortage of both private and public funds is bound to have some effect on the speed with which we continue to develop. We will get there in the end – although it might take us longer than we would like.”

More than 50 PHA members and guests gathered for the 19th AGM in Dewars Rinks.

Mr Band reflected on changes over his time in office and the increasing burden of regulatory and legal requirements being placed on voluntary members of housing association boards.

But he looked back on his years with the Association with an enormous sense of pride.

Mr Band paid tribute to his fellow board members and staff, stating: “My seven years as chairman would not have been possible without an outstanding board prepared to give their time and widespread skills on an entirely voluntary basis.’’

Earlier in the evening, the board elected Ian McMillan as the new chair of the PHA. He has spent six years on the board, the last four years as vice chair.

Mr McMillan praised Tom Band’s chairmanship and direction of the PHA and his contribution over the years as a board member of the Association.

He welcomed Mr Band’s decision to continue to serve on the board, and to chair the Association’s audit committee for the next year. The Association also elected Ian McLaren as vice chair.