I have applied to buy my council house, but the property has been suffering from subsidence. The council surveyor inspected the house about a year ago and I asked for a copy of his report, but I’ve now been told I’m not entitled to see it.
You probably can’t force the council to let you see the structural survey they carried out on your house. It’s best to arrange a private survey in any case, but you may have difficulty getting a mortgage if the subsidence is serious. If your surveyor agrees that the problem can be solved quickly and cheaply and you’re getting a bargain you may wish to proceed: otherwise you’d probably be advised to wait for the council to make whatever repairs are necessary before making any further moves to buy the property.