ONE owner is preventing vital repairs programme to a Govanhill tenement.

As part of the South West Govanhill Acquisition and Repair programme council bosses want to take over 97 Westmoreland Street and refurbish the building.

Similar works at 19 Garturk Street showed an incredible transformation.

Council bosses have carried out compulsory purchases at the Westmoreland Street close but one owner objected, despite his ground floor property lying empty.

Duncan Thomson, group manager for private sector housing with Glasgow City Council, told a meeting of the Govanhill Regeneration Group that the owner had negotiated for more money.

But despite several offers made, they are now failing to communicate.

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Mr Thomson said: "We set up a pre-inquiry for this month in the hope we could sit down with this individual and agree common ground and a way forward rather than go to a public inquiry in June.

"So far this individual has not responded to the Scottish Government on that so we don't know what's going to happen now.

"We're waiting to hear back from the Scottish Government about a possible public inquiry.

"At the other other seven flats there have been no issues but this one ground floor flat is lying empty."

READ MORE: See inside the incredible transformation on Garturk Street

Mr Thomson also gave an update on other work going on in the area.

The council and Govanhill Housing Association planned for 260 acquisitions of flats in this financial year but the figure will be 252, leaving the potential for 48 more acquisitions next financial year, the final year of the programme.

Mr Thomson said: "It's a positive because I would hate to think, going in to the last year of this, that we were still having that demand of people looking to sell.

"We're working very closely with the housing association to make sure we are identifying the best houses to target.

"19 Garturk Street was a slum with people living in terrible conditions.

"If we have a legacy it is leaving closes like that, before and after."

The meeting also heard that the housing association is factoring 123 out of possible 249 closes in the enhanced enforcement area.

A total of 35 landlords in Govanhill have had their licences refused or revoked in the past two years but Mr Thomson said the number of inspections will slow down during the coronavirus crisis.