Many owners had received written offers for their flats but now council has changed its approach
Owners in a block of flats fear they could be left in limbo for years amid uncertainty over the future of the properties.
Eight-storey Westfield Court in Gorgie, Edinburgh, has been plagued by problems with its heating system, leaking sewage pipes, cladding panels, fire safety and flooding. The council, which owns 32 of the 94 flats, was negotiating with owners to buy up all the flats in the block to pave the way for it to be demolished.
But earlier this week the council announced that legal advice meant it could no longer purchase the flats at “notional market value” - effectively ignoring the condition of the building and the repair costs - because it did not comply with “best value” obligations.
The council says it wants to continue negotiations to buy the flats, but it will be offering owners a much lower price.
Now the Westfield Court Owners Group has issued a statement, saying it is “deeply concerned” by the council's change of position, “particularly after owners had spent months progressing through a process initiated by the council itself”.
The group said: “Many owners had received written purchase offers, while others had accepted valuations and were awaiting formal offers. They had made decisions and planned their futures in good faith, believing there was a clear route towards resolution.
“The subsequent change of approach has left owners facing renewed uncertainty about their homes, their financial security and how much longer this situation will continue.”
Lisa Cockburn, from the owners group, said the council seemed to be saying that to get best value it had to be able to buy all the properties simultaneously. She said that would mean if someone refused to sell, no-one else would be able to sell until the council had gone through the legal process of a Compulsory Purchase Order, which took time.
She said: “The council were supposed to buy our properties in June and now it might take up to two years for them to buy.”
She said the latest council report had referred to costs up until the end of the financial year 2027/28. “That suggests they it might take that long to be concluded - that’s two more winters, and the building always deteriorates more in the winter.”
The group is planning to make a deputation to a special meeting of the council’s housing committee on Monday, which has been called to discuss Westfield Court. Ms Cockburn said owners hoped the meeting would give greater clarity about the situation.
They say they want to understand the legal advice behind the change of approach and whether it fully considered “the wider financial and public interest benefits” of the previous plan.
The group said it did not want confrontation or further delay. “We want fairness, certainty and a practical way forward. Above all, we want owners and residents to be able to move on with their lives.”
Council officials recommended in December last year that Westfield Court should be demolished and replaced by new social housing, but although the plan to buy all the flats was approved at that time, a decision on demolition has yet to be taken.
On the latest development, housing convener Tim Pogson said: “This is an awful situation for the owners and residents of Westfield Court and I share their frustration. This is not where we wanted to be.
“With the building beyond repair, and further investment neither practical nor financially viable, we believed we had found a solution that could work for both the owners and the wider community.
“Unfortunately, based on further work and having sought external legal advice, this no longer appears to be possible, and we now have to find an alternative way forward that sits within the bounds of the council’s legal and financial responsibilities.
“The impact this will have on the owners is not lost on me and I would urge them to get in touch as soon as possible to discuss their options. For all these are private homeowners, I will be pressing officers to explore all avenues of available support and to deal with this as flexibly and sensitively as possible.”