TWO former janitors’ houses in the South of Glasgow will be sold to the Southside Housing Association.

The homes built at 5 Urrdale Road for Bellahouston Academy and 34 Maxwell Drive for Saint Albert’s Primary School are expected to sell for no more than £100,000 each.

Both properties are currently occupied by former janitors who both retired in 2011. The issue was discussed at the council’s contracts and property committee. Both tenants will be able to remain in their homes for as long as they wish.

Only when the properties are empty will the housing association be able to reconsider their use.

Councillor Hanif Raja said: “There were quite a lot of other community groups who were interested in those properties.

“What do Southside Housing Association intend to do with the houses? Why were the community groups not offered those properties?”

A council officer said: “The housing association will continue the tenancy of the people who occupy the properties at the moment.”

Questions were asked regarding other janitors houses left unoccupied within local school grounds.

Councillor James Scanlon said: “I’m absolutely delighted to see movement in this area. What about the janitors houses that we can’t sell?

“Holy Cross primary school has got a janitors house which has been vacant for a long time. I was informed we can’t sell this house because there is no direct access to it. You can only access it through the school gate. That obviously bars the council from selling it. What do we do there?”

Mr Scanlon was informed that it was not possible to sell these properties as child safety had to remain a priority.

Other uses for these buildings will be considered.

Ian Robertson, director of land and property services, said: “Wherever possible we will try and put former janitors houses to market but there are times where we cannot do that and that is because of child safety.

“We can’t have a resident going through a playground to get to a house. There are a number of janitors houses within the grounds of the school and you can’t distinguish where the school ends and the home begins because they are in the same buildings. We will need to think of other options for these houses.”