Shocked Balnagask residents "need answers" over RAAC relocation plans

Hundreds of Balnagask residents are coming to terms with having to leave their homes following the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Aberdeen City Council discovered the potentially collapse-risk concrete in around 500 homes in the Torry area - 364 which are council owned.

299 of these are currently occupied by council tenants, who all received a letter yesterday telling them they will be rehomed.

£3 million has been allocated to relocate tenants to permanent properties.

"We just started feeling okay"

One resident who wanted to remain anonymous, has just moved into the property as part of the Ukraine resettlement scheme.

They previously lived in a hotel for eight months and felt as though they were just settling in.

The resident said: "We just started feeling okay. This is the place you come back to in the evenings and you consider home.

"The hotel was a temporary place and quite limited in space but it (moving) will be quite challenging again."

After making friends in the area and having a short commute to work, they are now worried about where they will be relocated to.

They also have a dog who requires frequent access to a garden and have concerns about being placed within a flat: "We have a dog and most places are pet-banned if we are speaking about council properties, like multi-storey buildings.

"So, it should be some kind of place which is pet friendly. We are kind of in limbo again."

Recent structural inspections recommended for tenants to be moved out 'as soon as possible'.

Council residents have been invited to meetings with housing officers to support them through the process.

"Left to our own devices"

One Balnagask couple's life is up in the air with a house to sell and a wedding to plan.

Fiona and her fiancé - who bought the house 11 years ago - received a letter from the local authority yesterday about the RAAC update.

Different letters were sent to private home-owners with details of the current circumstances - they have also been offered a meeting with a housing officer to discuss their options.

However, Fiona said they are still confused about what is going on.

She said: "We've had a couple of letters through since last year. They don't have a lot of information on them but when we got it yesterday, it was a bit of a shock to hear they're moving council people out which makes it sound like it's quite urgent."

The couple are due to get married in June and hoped a new house would be one thing to tick off the list before their wedding.

However, now they're spending their time calling estate agents to find out if they can still sell their house.

The couple explained it could be up to six months for an update from the council.

Now, they don't know if selling the house will be possible: "The information we're getting is that we have to do our own thing and get out own surveys and we don't really know how to go about these things.

"We are kind of left to our own devices being a homeowner which is disappointing because you buy these properties off the council so we would expect - if they're helping council tenants, maybe they would be helping homeowners."

Fiona said the letter contained a link to frequently asked questions and the only answer she could find was "get your own survey".

She continued: "Money is not something we can be throwing about for surveys and new roofs.

"The main thing we know is they're moving council tenants out so does that mean we should be getting out? That's the scary thing for us.

"We also don't want to go ahead and get a new roof then be told they're getting demolished - that's throwing money at nothing.

"I think we need answers soon - six months is a long time for a final answer.

"If we got a survey in, that's all well and good but if he tells us we need a new roof, do we put in a new roof? Not if they're going to then demolish the building.

"We really don't know where we stand at the moment."

What will happen to the buildings?

The local authority is currently weighing up the viability of the buildings and exploring options which include fixing or demolishing them.

Councillor Miranda Radley, Convenor of the Housing committee said it is an "incredibly difficult" situation for everyone involved.

Cllr Radley said: "This is an incredibly difficult situation for everyone living in a RAAC affected property, but the Council will be doing everything we can to support our tenants during this hugely challenging time.

"These are people's homes and we need to ensure we support our tenants, but also engage with owners and privately rented tenants, to keep them informed on this matter.”

If your home is affected by RAAC, you can find further information here.