Edinburgh residents angry as council drops plans to buy flats due for demolition
Council rejects claims it neglected maintenance of building
Residents of a problem block of flats which could be saved from demolition by a move to give it listed status have voiced their anger at the council’s decision to halt its plans to buy the affected homes.
The council said in November last year it wanted to pull down eight-storey Westfield Court in Gorgie after contractors said that some sewage pipes which were leaking into flats were beyond repair. The flats have also had persistent problems with the communal heating system, pre-cast concrete cladding panels, fire safety and flooding.
Most of the flats are privately owned and the council was discussing offers to buy the properties so it could obtain full ownership and proceed to demolition. But after Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said Westfield Court was likely to be made a listed building, the council halted work on purchase of the flats.
Kenneth Brown, a resident of Westfield Court and a member of the Living Rent tenants union, said: “I and many other residents are extremely disappointed by the council’s decision to withdraw the offers made under the buyback scheme.
“While many residents already felt the offers did not properly reflect the true value of their homes, a number of tenants and owners had nevertheless decided they would accept due to their age, disabilities, and the significant stress and uncertainty they have been living under for a prolonged period.
“Residents feel particularly frustrated because they were not clearly informed that the offers were conditional on permission being granted to demolish the building. Had the council been open and transparent about this from the outset, the level of disappointment and upset may not have been as great.
“The explanation that the process has been halted because of a listed building application submitted by an unknown individual has added further confusion and uncertainty for residents, many of whom had already begun preparing for major life changes based on the expectation that the buyback scheme would proceed.”
Mr Brown said some residents also felt the wording of the council’s letter was “unnecessarily accusatory” and appeared to suggest that homeowners or tenants may have been involved in, or aware of, the listed building application that led to the withdrawal of the offers.
“Residents strongly reject this implication and state they had no knowledge of who submitted the application. There is a strong feeling among residents that communication from the council has lacked clarity throughout the process, leaving vulnerable people feeling let down and anxious about what happens next."
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said they had bought their flat several years ago, from one of Westfield Court’s original tenants who had previously bought their home under the government’s Right-to-Buy scheme.
“I live in a fabulous, spacious home close to all the best amenities - shops, gyms, parks and transport. I can be in the centre of Princes Street within five minutes.”
But the more homes were sold, the less the council seemed to care, they said.
“As the council slowly sold off more of their flats, it became painfully clear that it became less and less interested in maintaining the fabric of the building. There were non-stop leaks from the roof - even immediately after it was replaced at great expense to all owners.
“Smaller issues such as cleaning and fixing communal areas were met with a mediocre service. Significant repairs, including the replacement of communal pipe work, which should have quickly been taken care of throughout the years, snowballed into major issues which have still not been resolved.
“We’ve paid significant factoring fees over the years and have little to show for it. We’ve got lovely homes but through no fault of our own, the communal parts of the building have been allowed to rot. Seemingly, the council’s managers simply closed their eyes and hoped all these problems would go away.
“Now they want to toss everyone out, cover up their historic neglect, build a high-rise for their tenants - and start all over with a clean slate. Meanwhile, if they get their way, over 400 humans will have been made homeless.
“In today’s housing market, the minuscule sums of money being offered by the council to get rid of us, wouldn’t buy us a single property of equal size anywhere in Edinburgh.
“It seems obvious to flat owners that for many years, the council has had a plan to divest itself of their burdensome experiment in incompetent management and we’re the scapegoats.
“We’ll fight to the end to make the council make us whole by repairing every part of the building and allowing us to live the lives we deserve in properties we’re not giving up."
Westfield Court resident and Living Rent member Iftikhar Ali said residents were pleased to hear a listing application had been made for the building. “This could protect our flats, our homes, from being demolished, and could save residents from having to deal with immense stress and anxiety to have to move elsewhere.
“However, we are concerned that if the council divests from the building, they will leave their responsibility for their historical neglect and burden us, the residents, with it. If they wish to divest after listing, they must own up to their mistakes and pay for what they have done."
And Living Rent organiser Barry Will said: “Westfield Court is home to so many workers, families, council and private tenants, and homeowners, who all are under threat of being kicked out of their homes and pushed out of their communities if the building is demolished.
“It is also a historic building that has been left to deteriorate by Edinburgh City Council. Whether the building becomes listed or not, what residents need is a cost effective repair plan for the people who live there so that they can stay safe and dry, and afford to continue living in their communities.”
Housing convener Tim Pogson said he hoped it would still be possible to go ahead with the council’s original plan to buy the flats . “Even if it does get listed, what it means is that whatever we wanted to do we would have to seek listed building consent and we might get it, but we can’t be sure. I do feel for the owners who are interested in selling their property back to us.”
He said no offers had been confirmed to people because that would need committee approval. “Nonetheless we have been working with them on this, so I do feel very sorry they have been affected by that as well.”
And Cllr Pogson said the council did not accept residents’ claims that the council had neglected maintenance of the building. “We’ve looked into this and we would not agree that was the case and we’ve even had legal opinion on it.”
A report to the housing committee in December said opinion from a King’s Counsel concluded that the council, in its role as factor, had not failed in its duty of care in managing the repair and maintenance of the common parts of Westfield Court.