The Torry Raac crisis finally came to a head today as councillors voted to demolish and rebuild Balnagask homes – despite emotional pleas from tenants and owners to leave them standing.
The decision will see more than 500 households in Torry forced out of their properties, with the council enforcing compulsory purchases if homeowners refuse to leave.
It comes following months of disruption and uncertainty for residents, who have been left in limbo following the launch of the evacuation effort this spring.
The vote today came after five hours of intense, and often emotional, debate.
Residents’ pleas fall on deaf ears
Torry locals whose homes are affected by Raac gave heartfelt speeches to councillors as the meeting got under way.
Hannah Chowdhry had her statement read to the chamber, as she blasted the situation as “inhumane”.
Her father Wilson also addressed councillors, asking “are we supposed to accept we have been abandoned?”
A furious Mr Chowdhry ended his speech by pledging to fight any attempts to undercut their property values as the council buys back privately owned abodes.
“We will not be leaving our homes if you offer £20-£30,000,” he warned.
‘The people of Torry have been living a nightmare’
The chamber also heard from Paula Fraser, chairwoman of the Torry Community Raac Campaign.
She told the council that tenants had got in touch with her who were “really, really struggling with their mental health” at the prospect of being torn from their loved ones.
“Where is the justice in all this, the duty of care to citizens of Aberdeen living in this nightmare?” Mrs Fraser asked.
Further pleas for the council to reconsider were heard from John Mekeljohn, who is one of hundreds being forced to leave their homes.
“Some people have lived here for 30 years, to see the community disappear in the space of a year is devastating,” he said.
How much compensation will Balnagask Raac home owners get?
Council officers were grilled over the intricacies of their mammoth project, having spent months coming up with the solution.
Councillor Alex Nicoll asked housing chief John Wilson to clarify how much home owners would be getting for compensation, following Mr Chowdhry’s claim that it would be between £20-£30,000.
Mr Wilson told the chamber that market value is being calculated as the pre-Raac price, but minus the cost of repair.
This would leave home owners with “much more” than Mr Chowdhry claimed.
‘This will be very difficult on the council’
Opposition Labour and Conservative councillors warned against “rushing into” a decision today without knowing the full costs involved.
Labour’s Ross Grant said more thought was needed before “sweeping away the Balnagask community”.
The Tories argued that homeowners should be paid the full value, without subtracting the repair costs.
Housing convenor Miranda Radley argued that the original plan should be followed – which would leave these owners out of pocket.
She admitted to the chamber that the decision was “especially tough” but added that they have “one choice in front them”.
Fellow SNP councillor Dell Henrikson echoed this point – saying it was going to be a “very difficult” decision for the council.
But despite hearing pleas of Torry locals who wanted the option to repair their home, this did not register with Mr Henrikson as he asked “why repair houses when you can build back better?”
“Repairing makes no sense to me,” the George Street/Harbour representative added.
Worries over potential ‘Radley tax’
Last week, Ms Radley told the Press and Journal that a rise in council rent was not off the table as an option to pay for the Torry Raac crisis.
And this was branded the “Radley tax” by opposition councillors who pushed for the SNP government to instead foot the bill during today’s meeting.
Councillor Simon Watson argued: “We know their will be a Radley tax on the city, but how much we don’t know.
“How much will have to be paid in Radley tax?”
Torry representative Michael Kusznir added: “The council must commit to not rising rents to pay for the Raac.”
Ms Radley stressed that her priority was “to keep people safe” and it was “always going to be a difficult decision”.
She pledged to “engage with both the Scottish and UK governments” to secure funding.
But, with reference to the potential rent hikes, she repeated what she told the P&J last week: “Incredibly challenging decisions will need to be made.”
And the SNP housing chief warned that the council’s housing revenue budget was already at a deficit following a rent freeze after Covid.
Why are Balnagask Raac homes being demolished?
It all comes after roof panels in Torry homes were found to be “high-risk” following various investigations.
Cracking of slab panels and water damage were found during the surveys – which raised serious concerns.
What do you think about the way the vote went? Let us know in our comments section below
The council say the decision to knock down the Raac properties will allow them to build homes in Torry that meet current building standards.
They also hope that the design of the new properties would create a “modern vibrant environment” and go towards regenerating the Balnagask area.
How much will Torry Raac rehoming cost?
However, this will come at a hefty price for the council…
Today’s decision could cost £130 million, according to the report put forward at the meeting.
Furthermore, a masterplan would be needed for the new housing estate that would take several years to get through the planning process.
And the rebuilding process would take even longer.
What does it mean for Torry residents?
For the moment, offers of alternative accommodation will continue to be given to ensure council tenants can be rehomed by the end of the year.
To date, 151 new leases have been signed.
The local authority will look to start legal action if any tenants have refused to move despite being given “reasonable offers”.
The decision had 24 votes in support, with 12 against and five abstentions.
Read more:
- Exclusive: Housing boss won’t rule out Aberdeen-wide rent increase to pay for £130m Torry Raac home replacement scheme
- Torry Raac: Families speak out on sleepless nights, mortgage fears and community impact
- TIMELINE: As Torry reels from potential Raac demolition news, how long have risks been widely known?
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