Flat-owners in Edinburgh's troubled Westfield Court welcome council decision despite continued uncertainty
Cost of demolition and rebuilding will be compared with cost of repairs
Owners in a troubled Edinburgh block of flats earmarked for demolition have welcomed a decision to review plans which would have seen them asked to sell their flats to the council for virtually nothing.
The council, which owns 32 of the 94 flats in Westfield Court, Gorgie, agreed last year it would try to buy back all the rest of the flats so it could knock down the block, which has been plagued for years by problems with its heating system, leaking sewage pipes, cladding panels and fire safety.
Many owners accepted offers based on "notional market value", which ignored the condition of the flats. But last week the council said legal advice meant they could no longer proceed with purchases on that basis because it would not meet the council's "best value" obligations.
And on Monday, a special meeting of the housing committee was asked to endorse the latest position and back continued negotiations with owners alongside preparation of compulsory purchase plans.
However, members of the committee questioned how "best value" was determined and voted 7-4 to approve an amendment from the Greens, Lib Dems and SNP, saying it was "not possible at this time to make a decision on what course of action would be best value".
And they asked officials to provide cost estimates for a phased, multi-year repair programme so they could be compared with the costs of buying back all the flats, demolition and rebuilding, and allow the committee to decide "which represents best value in the short, medium and long-term".
In a statement, the owners said: "The Westfield Court Owners Group would like to thank the SNP, Greens and Liberal Democrats for working together on the composite amendment and for listening to the concerns raised by owners.
"While the outcome leaves us facing continued uncertainty, we welcome the committee's recognition that decisions affecting so many people's homes, finances and futures must be based on full and accurate information.
“We hope this further scrutiny will lead to a fair, practical and timely resolution. Owners cannot remain in limbo indefinitely.”
Lisa Cockburn, from the owners' group, said: “We're grateful to the councillors who have listened to us and recognised the importance of having all the information before making decisions that affect so many lives. Monday's decision doesn't remove the uncertainty, but it gives us an opportunity to find a fairer way forward.
“We can't expect councillors to make good decisions when they don't have the information they need to make those decisions. It's regrettable they didn't have that information.
“Owners engaged with the council's purchase process in good faith, relying on the information and commitments they were given. Some have made significant decisions about their lives and finances as a result. They should not now be left facing further financial hardship because the council has been unable to complete that process.”
Officials told Monday’s meeting that owners might only be entitled to a maximum of £15,000 for loss of their home, plus the cost of moving and a discretionary payment from the council.
The owners are now keen to see a reassessment of “best value”. Ms Cockburn said: "If demolition is being considered, surely councillors need to understand not only the costs involved, but also the potential value of the cleared site and what could be developed there.
"These are significant factors in assessing best value, and we're pleased councillors have recognised the importance of having the full financial picture before making decisions that affect so many people's lives.”
She said she was surprised at a council suggestion the land was worth only £1 million. “We don't know how that figure was calculated or what assumptions were made about the future use of the site.”
Ms Cockburn said owners were still being told as recently as August 13 that purchases would go to committee in September for approval. “We need to understand what changed, when the legal concerns were identified, and why owners were allowed to continue through the process.”
And she said the council’s decision to restart charging for core services, such as the lifts and the heating, would add to owners’ problems. “While we recognise that the council has ongoing costs, we're very concerned about the fairness and financial hardship for owners who have been unable to sell.”