Tillicoultry, 11th September 2024 – Residents from 30 flats in Tillicoultry, who have been displaced from their homes since last year due to the discovery of dangerous RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) in their buildings, have expressed strong objections to Clackmannanshire Council’s recent briefing note provided to elected members.
The residents are particularly concerned that the briefing note lacks specific details about the actual costs associated with roof repairs. Instead, it only suggests that repairs will be expensive without offering a cost assessment or engaging a contractor to provide an accurate estimate. Additionally, the note highlights that the Council, which holds majority ownership in the affected blocks, plans to form an owners association for decision-making, a move residents argue undermines their ability to influence outcomes. The residents have expressed a desire to retain their properties and seek roof repairs, and they are calling for the Council to offer grants, loans, or missed-share opportunities under an enhanced Scheme of Assistance strategy.
The affected properties include those at 75-97 Chapelle Crescent, 6-22 Park Street, and 35-51 High Street. Residents have been living in temporary accommodation for over a year and are frustrated by what they perceive as conflicting information and inadequate communication from the Council. Councillor Jane McTaggart, spokesperson for housing and property, stated: “I am pleased that local residents have been given a written update on this challenging situation. The council continues to recognise this is a worrying time for those concerned and can confirm that there is ongoing communication with those affected by RAAC and their representatives. We will continue to provide appropriate support and updates where available to those directly affected.”
Fiona Vallance, one of the homeowners, shared her distressing experience:
"We've been in temporary accommodation for 11 months, and no one has even reached out to see how we're coping. It’s appalling how we’ve been treated. The council assured us our properties would be kept safe while they worked on a solution, but they were vandalized during an attempted break-in. Five people and I had to stand watch over our properties for four hours at night until we felt they were secure again. We shouldn’t be learning about our situation through a local newspaper; we should have all received a letter directly. This past year has been devastating, and it will stay with us forever. It has mentally broken us all."
However, residents feel their concerns have been overlooked and that they have received conflicting information regarding their options. For example, earlier suggestions from council officers indicated that seeking pre-RAAC-declaration valuations for their homes was a viable option. However, recent communications from Lee Robertson, the Council’s Senior Manager – Legal and Governance Monitoring Officer, have contradicted this, stating that pre-RAAC valuations are no longer available. When local residents submitted an online petition through the council’s web portal, her response was:
"As far as I am aware no Council officer has recommended pre October RAAC Declaration/ Valuation and as such this statement is not correct. You have asked for pre-October RAAC Declaration/Valuation for private ownership properties - what year is this? Legally, the valuation of a property (which I have assumed to be market value) is as at the date it is valued. It is now known that RAAC was in the property in October 2023 and as such any valuation will need to take this into account. Any valuations that were carried out prior to the Council's structural engineer's report would be invalid as a result of the now known RAAC. Therefore what you are asking the Council to do is not competent and as such cannot be accepted in the Petition."
In the same letter, Ms. Robertson states:
Further complications arose when Wilson Lees, Team Leader of Community Safety, Support & Advice Services, clarified that no decisions or recommendations had been made regarding property repairs or available options. He also noted that while pre-RAAC-declaration valuations were still valid and could be considered, the final decisions would ultimately rest with the elected members after proper deliberation. This response was provided following questions raised about Ms. Robertson's statement. Residents are increasingly concerned that the process is evolving without their input, and their voices are being sidelined.
In response to these ongoing concerns, a meeting has been scheduled for September 20th with residents, Kevin Wells, the Strategic Director for Place, and Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the UK RAAC Campaign Group will be attending. This meeting aims to provide residents with an opportunity to voice their concerns and seek direct answers from the council regarding their predicament.
One of the key issues to be addressed in the meeting with Kevin Wells is the matter of public participation at the Full Council meeting, where a decision will be made about the future of these estates. The council has effectively blocked contributions from homeowners and the UK RAAC Campaign Group, despite the significant impact these decisions will have on those affected. Homeowners have been informed that the only avenue for public participation is to speak as the submitter of an online petition through the council's website portal. However, after one petition was rejected and with no response to their second attempt, residents are concerned they may not gather the required 250 signatures from Clackmannanshire residents in time. They fear that their voices will not be heard at the Full Council meeting, which could prevent councillors from fully understanding their situation and desires. Additionally, they worry that councillors may not be aware of their powers under Section 71 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, which offers a range of options to support homeowners.
Wilson Chowdhry has expressed his frustration with the constant shifting of positions by the Council, which has left residents in a state of confusion, false hope, and severe mental distress. “The constant changes in the Council’s stance have created an untenable situation for these already beleaguered residents. Their mental health is deteriorating rapidly due to the confusion and false promises, posing a significant risk to their well-being. The condescending and brutal language of Lee Robertson has been unprofessional, and it is unacceptable to claim that lives have been saved when the roofs still remain intact months after evacuation. The only fair solution is a pre-RAAC-declaration valuation of the properties. Anything less will leave some of the UK's most deprived families facing insurmountable debt and on the brink of mental breakdown. I urge the Council to either allow the petition process to proceed or facilitate public participation by exempting standing orders at council meetings to ensure that the residents' voices are heard and considered fairly.”
Mr. Chowdhry has also raised concerns about the validity and purpose of the upcoming meeting on September 20th. Notably, the meeting is scheduled on a day when Mr. Lees, the primary council communicator with residents, will be on holiday. Although Mr. Lees has stated that this is merely a coincidence, Mr. Chowdhry argues that his absence undermines the meeting's effectiveness, as residents will miss the opportunity to directly question him about the statements and proposed options he has previously communicated. Mr. Chowdhry perceives this scheduling as favoring the Council and further disadvantaging the affected residents.
Clacks Council Protest by UK RAAC Campaign Group:Location: Clackmannanshire Council, Kilncraigs Greenside Street Alloa FK10 1EB
Protest for a fair deal for RAAC Homeowners from Tillicoultry
The protest will take place before a meeting with Council Officers on 20th September 2024.
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