Residents’ repairs row
A STAND-off between residents, an energy company and a housing association has grown more bitter.
Works in Toryglen should have been completed in 12 weeks – but 20 months later workmen are still on site.
Now the rift has deepened after a local called Thistle HA to ask for repair works to be done – and they sent police to him instead.
The association has accused the resident of vandalism.
A RESIDENT who contacted an under-fire housing association to ask for a workman was met by police instead.
It is the latest incident in a long-running saga that has pit residents and their housing association against one another.
As previously told in the Evening Times, energy-saving works in Toryglen should have taken 12 weeks to carry out.
Now, 20 months later, workmen are still on site sorting out problems caused by the scheme, run by energy giant E-ON at hundreds of Thistle Housing Association properties.
Resident Ian Paterson spotted that a cable containment box had burst and cables were hanging loose in his close.
He emailed Thistle HA to report the problem, expecting a workman to come out and fix the damage.
Instead, housing bosses called the police to accuse Mr Paterson of vandalism and two officers came to his door.
It is the second time Thistle’s management have called police to Mr Paterson, having previously accused him of running a blog site detailing the issues with the botched works.
Mr Paterson described the move as a “poisonous attempt” on his character.
The energy works have turned into a three-way stooshie with residents of 608 properties stuck in the middle.
Using £8.5million of public money, including £3.4m of Scottish Government cash, E-on was supposed to have taken 12 weeks to carry out works such as rough casting, window upgrades and roof repairs in order to make homes more energy efficient.
Workers wracked up a catalogue of blunders, meaning some properties had to be visited on multiple occasions in order to undergo remedial works.
And residents, who have asked First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and council leader Susan Aitken for help, were left increasingly frustrated by the time delays and inconvenience.
In September last year E-on pulled all its staff off-site following a stand-up row between its staff and residents.
Each group pointed the finger at the other with locals claiming E.ON staff were verbally abusive towards them.
E.ON then claimed its workers felt under threat for residents.
There was also a deadlock between the energy firm and the housing association over payment, causing E.ON to appoint an independent adjudicator – which found i n favour of the housing association.
The stalemate arose when a quantity surveyor appointed by Thistle would not sign off the works, so the association withheld a £3.4m payment to E-on.
At the time, the Evening Times contacted E-ON for comment but they refused to speak on the issue.
It is understood workmen are still on site sorting out snagging issues at properties. Some residents have had as many as 13 completion dates for their homes but still have no end in sight.
A spokesperson from Thistle Housing Association said: “It is standard practice that any suspected acts of vandalism to our properties are reported to our community police team.
“It is our duty to ensure our residents live in a safe, well maintained community and we endeavour to do all we can to uphold our high standards throughout Toryglen.”
Glasgow City Council has said the local authority will commission an independent audit into the situation.