Tenants may be suspended from buying their council home

The local authority's new SNP administration has put forward four applications to the Scottish Government for 'pressured area status'.

If successful the move would affect council tenants living west of the M9 and A9 who moved into their property after September 2002.

Figures for some areas show more than 20 applicants for every council home.

Pressured area status legislation was introduced in 2001 to help prevent further reduction in the number of local authority properties.

Considerable pressures exist in many of our communities where demand for social rented housing significantly outstrips supply Alasdair MacPherson Stirling Council

The areas targeted by the applications include Dunblane, Bridge of Allan, Causewayhead, Bannockburn and Riverside.

The right to buy could also be suspended in Whins of Milton, Braehead and St Ninians.

According to the latest sales figures, the average house price for a property in Stirling is about �181,000.

Councillor Alasdair MacPherson, executive member with portfolio for communities and housing, said it was vital to act now to save the area's remaining social housing stock.

He said: "Considerable pressures exist in many of our communities where demand for social rented housing significantly outstrips supply.

"These applications are only one part of our plan to tackle this crisis.

"In addition we need to review the current planning policies to provide more affordable housing as well as work with local housing associations and the Scottish Government to deliver new affordable housing."

If approved by Scottish ministers, the suspension could last for up to five years and prevent an estimated 50 sales.