Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘Tenants should have had say on demolition’
DUNDEE’S convener of neighbourhood services has said the tenants’ federation should have been consulted about the demolition of tenement homes on Blackness Road.
Dundee City Council first put forward the plans to demolish the 26 flats, as well as a shop unit, in 2017 to make way for new affordable housing.
The decision to demolish had previously caused a backlash as some residents claimed they were not consulted in the decision.
Anne Rendall said: “The Scottish Housing Regulator’s opinion is that the 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 Dundee Federation of Tenants Associations (DFTA) which is happy with our suggestions for revised consultation proposals for the future where there are any plans to demolish council homes.”
Former housing convener and local councillor Jimmy Black said: “I believe the tenants’ federation did not know about the planned destruction of these homes until it was too late.
“Had it known, it could have organised i ndependent, 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.”
He 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.”
The Dundee Federation of Tenants Associations said: “The DFTA recognise that we should have been consulted prior to the decision on Blackness Road demolition being considered – we would have ensured that tenants affected had a chance to meet with us and had access to independent advice.
“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.”