A SENIOR Dundee councillor had admitted that tenants “probably” should have been consulted before the local authority took the decision to demolish their homes.
Councillors decided last October to demolish the 26 flats on Blackness Road because they said the stairwells were deteriorating and would become a safety risk within three years.
However, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by former SNP councillor Jimmy Black revealed that six private landlords, who do not live in the properties, were counted as “residents” and private tenants’ views on the demolition were not considered.
Council officials said a majority of residents backed the plans, and that was straightforward enough – eight people voted for refurbishment and 14 for demolition. But six of the 14 were private landlords, and three were owner-occupiers.
Anne Rendall, convener of Dundee City Council’s Neighbourhood Services, said: “The Scottish Housing Regulator’s opinion is that the [Tenants] Federation should have been informed, and we conceded that with hindsight we should probably have consulted with them as well as the consultations we carried out directly with tenants.
“Our view, however, is still that these flats are at the end of their useful lives and are to be demolished.
“We place a high value on tenant participation and we have met with DFTA who are happy with our suggestions for revised consultation proposals for the future where there are any plans to demolish council homes.”
Black welcomed the statement but added: “I believe the tenants’ federation did not know about the planned destruction of these homes until it was too late.
“Had they known, they could have organised independent, expert advice for the tenants who lived in the blocks. Tenants would not have been asked to make decisions about the future of their homes without experts on their side.”
Dundee Federation of Tenants said in a prepared statement that they should have been consulted before demolition of the flats was considered.
“We would have ensured that tenants affected had a chance to meet with us and had access to independent advice,” it said. “However, we are aware that the tenants and owners directly involved were consulted and that the vote taken by them showed a clear preference for demolition.
“We support the provision of additional high-quality council homes in this area and look forward to seeing this happen.
“We are currently working with Dundee City Council to ensure we are involved in consultations in the future.
“Tenants’ groups are a very important way for tenants to ensure that they can have their say.”
Black added: “Much as I regret the decision taken by the full council to demolish these historic tenements, the most important thing now is to get the few remaining tenants and residents rehoused. This thing has dragged on long enough.”
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