OAP slams Edinburgh Council after repairs delayed due to 'birds roosting' in roof

PENSIONER Margaret Luke asked the council to repair holes in the fascia board in front of her roof in time to stop birds getting in.
Mrs Luke, 77, from Currie, first requested the repairs at the beginning of February.Mrs Luke, 77, from Currie, first requested the repairs at the beginning of February.
Mrs Luke, 77, from Currie, first requested the repairs at the beginning of February.

Five months on, with the work still undone, she got a letter telling her it would have to be postponed until autumn – because the birds had got in.

The council said there were “many rules and regulations” which meant they could be prosecuted if they started work while birds were nesting in the roof.

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Mrs Luke, 77, from Currie, first requested the repairs at the beginning of February.

In March, a joiner turned up at the house in Palmer Place, where Mrs Luke has lived for 20 years, but could not carry out the work because no scaffolding had been put up.In March, a joiner turned up at the house in Palmer Place, where Mrs Luke has lived for 20 years, but could not carry out the work because no scaffolding had been put up.
In March, a joiner turned up at the house in Palmer Place, where Mrs Luke has lived for 20 years, but could not carry out the work because no scaffolding had been put up.
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In March, a joiner turned up at the house in Palmer Place, where Mrs Luke has lived for 20 years, but could not carry out the work because no scaffolding had been put up.

“A few weeks ago another chap appeared at the door saying he’d come to fix the roof and he showed me the e-mail saying the scaffolding was already in place – but of course it wasn’t.

“Then I got a letter saying they can’t do anything until September or October because there are birds nesting.”

Five months on, with the work still undone, she got a letter telling her it would have to be postponed until autumn  because the birds had got in.Five months on, with the work still undone, she got a letter telling her it would have to be postponed until autumn  because the birds had got in.
Five months on, with the work still undone, she got a letter telling her it would have to be postponed until autumn because the birds had got in.
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When the Evening News contacted the council they said they had no record of Mrs Luke’s repairs request before June 12 but they sent workmen to visit the property and found there were no birds roosting after all.

“Officers will review these and other cases to identify actions we can take as part of a wider series of improvements to the responsiveness of the service.”

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