Home-owner: There’s no timeline, no road map, no support, no help and no interest

Ria Lewis is among the home-owners left distraught after cladding guidelines made their homes unsellable virtually overnight.

The 42-year-old of Colonsay View, Edinburgh, has wanted to sell her flat since 2019 after the death of her mum and sister who also lived in the city.

The change in guidance after the Grenfell disaster has meant that mortgage lenders will not loan on properties with potential cladding issues, meaning buyers of affected properties would have to purchase them outright in cash.

Lewis, who is no longer able to work due to illness, wants to move closer to her brother near London, but is currently unable to leave her apartment because of ongoing issues with the building.

She paid approximately £70,000 to own 50% of the property in a share with Hillcrest Homes, who has had to postpone work on the property a number of times. Lewis said: “I was told it would be finished around July last year and then they said there had been a delay with the council so it would be finished by October.

“Then they said there had been another delay and that it would be finished by January. I’ve been up and down this road and no one is doing any work, nothing is been done, nothing’s been started.

“There are rules about living here too, you can’t leave the place vacant for a certain amount of time and you can’t sublet.”

Hillcrest Homes wrote to Lewis in June last year to say that the scope of work would include “removing and replacing all timber and smooth panels between windows, along with the installation of new and associated fire separation detailing next to the render”.

The company said in an email that they would cover costs of the work themselves as funding details from the Scottish Government at that point were unclear.

Hillcrest wrote: “The cost of the works will be fully borne by Hillcrest Homes because, at this time, the Scottish Government has yet to determine whether funding will be available.

“However, we are keen to progress with the work regardless of confirmation of funding so that EWS1 Certificates can be issued at the earliest possible date following overall completion of the works.”

Hillcrest said yesterday that work is now expected to commence in April/ May, irrespective of any prospective government support. It said: “The Scottish Government is currently considering bids from Hillcrest and other organisations for funding assistance as part of a pilot.”

Lewis said meantime not being able to be around close family who could support her was distressing.

She said: “If I could even see they’ve started at that end of the road and they’re doing that work and then eventually they’ll get to my end of the road and it will be done,” she said. “But there’s no road map, there’s no timeline, there’s no clear evidence to me that anything is being done.”

She added: “I wish I could sell, I need the money desperately.”