Tarbert residents’ misery goes on
Impasse leads to insulation deadline being missed
Several residents in a Tarbert block of flats are desperately seeking a solution after a round of planned insulation work missed last Friday’s deadline.
One block of six flats at Oakhill in the village is awaiting exterior repairs – but an impasse continues between neighbours over whether the region’s housing association can go ahead with the job.
Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) director of investment and regeneration Kirsteen McGinn wrote to Oakhill residents on April 26 to warn them that if no unanimous decision to go ahead with external wall installation could be found by Friday May 5, the flats would be removed from the planned programme of works.
The block is one of at least six on the street awaiting similar repairs, with private owners – some of them believed to be living abroad - objecting to ACHA and contractors carrying out work to areas such as roughcasting, roofing and guttering.
Several of the residents hoped that the work would prevent the dampness and mould problems they have endured in their flats for years – believing a lack of action could leave the block “derelict” down the line.
Bea McAllister, who lives in one of the flats and rents from ACHA, said: “With the state of the roof to our block of flats, the flats are becoming damp.
“It is slowly being turned into a derelict building.
“I have an air source heat pump which was installed in November last year.
“Everyone keeps telling me what a cheap way it is to heat your home but my heating bills are hundreds of pounds a month to run. It is only as good as the insulation in the house, and that needs done again. There are drafts all over the place.”
The previous tenant at the property, Laura Walker, told the Advertiser: “This block of flats is in an absolute ridiculous state.
“My sister Ailie stays in the top floor flat and we had ACHA out as there is water coming through into her flat.
“We went into the loft and you can actually see daylight through the roof in her living room, spare room and also her bathroom.
“ACHA sent out people to staple plastic to the gaps. They have been told that they are not getting any work done because a private tenant refuses.
“I lived in one of the flats from 2005 until last year, raising three of my four children here, and I can see work such
as some of the roughcasting which has been needing done since a decade ago.
“It is frustrating that five flats are at a disadvantage here.”
Iain McLeod from ACHA’s housing and community services department met with several Oakhill residents on Tuesday to hear their priorities for the work, and to set out the next steps the housing association can take.
He said that ACHA planned to write to all those residents who were in disagreement with the proposed work to explain the technical aspects, how it could also benefit them, and to gain feedback from them on the matter.
Mr McLeod added: “Because the insulation is an energy efficiency project, this is not something we can enforce.
“We are not about harassing anyone and a private tenant has legal protection in this regard.”
Councillor Dougie McFadzean, Kintyre and the Islands, present on the day, was shocked at the condition of the properties. “There needs to be some sort of resoluthe tion for people here at Oakhill. ACHA needs to explain the alternatives to those not in favour of the work, to explain that what might be free now could cost much more in six months’ time.”
Michelle Mundie of ACHA said: “The current situation is that we have asked residents in a block of flats at Oakhill if they wanted to participate in improvement works.
“Residents had until this week to let us know if they wished to participate and, at the time of writing this, we had not reached the deadline therefore there is no fixed position on this as yet.
“It is important to distinguish between repairs and improvement work. ACHA can carry out essential repairs to the block and recharge owners for their share of any communal costs but cannot carry out improvement work without the owner’s consent.
“If an owner does not want improvement work carried out, ACHA will respect their decision. However, if the owner decides against the improvements, we will, as a matter of priority, carry out any necessary repairs to the building, including any repairs to the roof.”