‘No trust’ in repair work at properties
HOUSING bosses are planning remedial works to finally address botched home repairs at dozens of South Side properties. It is more than four years since millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money was used to pay for energy upgrade works to properties in Toryglen that led to a catalogue of failings.
Thistle Housing Association is now being taking over by Sanctuary Scotland after extensive failings by the social landlord.
But residents said they have no faith that these new works will be a success – and want compensation up front before they will allow them to go ahead.
Kerrycroy Avenue resident David Crockwell, whose block of flats has been at the centre of some of the worst failings, said: “There has not even been a sorry from them.
“I have told them that they will need to give me £20,000 compensation up front before I let them anywhere near my property.
“After everything we’ve been through so far, you can only dread what’s going to happen here.”
The Glasgow Times first told in February 2017 of the scandal taking place at Thistle Housing Association properties in Toryglen.
A 16-week £8.5 million energy upgrade scheme was carried out by energy firm E.ON on behalf of Thistle Housing, with grant funding from Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government.
But workmen were on-site for years as mistake after mistake was made, leaving residents increasingly desperate.
Finally the Scottish Housing Regulator stepped in and Sanctuary Scotland, another social landlord, is in the process of taking over Thistle.
David said residents have no faith that remedial works will be done to high standard given Thistle staff who worked on the original bungled contract are still working for the landlord.
He added: “As long as you have the same people sitting in that office, I can’t trust them and I can’t trust that it’s not going to be a fight again over every aspect of the work.”
David said he’s been told that the new works will repair a laundry list of issues, including: chimney lead, roof tiles, fascias, gutters, rough cast and EWI, a type of rockwool external wall insulation.
Thistle HA said it is in talks with E.ON to develop proposals for remediation works for a wide range of quality issues that still remain from the E.ON contract.
A Thistle Housing Association spokesman said: “A recent Building Condition Survey identified external remediation work required to fix significant defects at three properties involved in the E.ON contract.
“This corrective work is being prepared and will be carried out when the weather improves and the Covid-19 restrictions are relaxed.”
The housing association says it is now “pursuing E.ON for recovery of costs” while Sanctuary Scotland had recently pledged it would spend £2m on repairs should its tender to take over Thistle be successful.
The Thistle spokesman added: “Thistle is pursuing E.ON for recovery of costs to address the issues identified on this project.
“The transfer of Thistle’s assets into Sanctuary will secure that these issues will be resolved regardless of the outcome of the ongoing action.”
A spokesman for E-on said the company would not comment on the situation.