By Claire Warrender

TENANTS OF A Fife property company fear they could be thrown out of their homes and forced to move from the area where they grew up.

People in Coaltown of Wemyss claim Wemyss Properties’ decision to sell the homes they have rented for decades could devastate the village by ripping the heart out of the close-knit community.

The Courier revealed last week the company intends to sell 49 of its 78 houses in Main Street, Plantation Row, Coronation Row, South Row and Memorial Square, and Edinburgh estate agent Savills has already been instructed in the sale.

The property firm has offered an assurance that tenants will be given a right to buy their homes, although with some valued at as much as £125,000 many people—particularly the elderly—cannot afford to buy.

Wemyss Properties has also said those who do not wish to make an offer but want to continue renting from them will be placed on a waiting list for any houses which become available in the village.

Around 70 locals gathered at a public meeting in Coaltown on Monday night to discuss the situation and make their fears known.

MSP Marilyn Livingstone, who organised the meeting, is to write to Communities Minister Fergus Ewing to make him aware of the “desperate” situation which has left villagers concerned for their own futures and for the impact the move will have on the village.

Mrs Livingstone said, “This is 49 families from a small community so obviously it will have a knock-on effect.

“Wemyss Properties have said they will put people on a waiting list but the problem is there isn’t the capacity for 49 families to be rehomed in Coaltown of Wemyss and all these people want to stay.

“People are worried about the heart being ripped out of the community first and foremost.”

Mrs Livingstone has asked Wemyss Properties to consider selling all the affected properties together to a social landlord such as Kingdom Housing, who would protect tenants’ rights, and she plans discuss the matter with Kingdom.

It emerged at Monday’s meeting surveyors had visited a number of the houses earlier this year, telling tenants they were carrying out surveys for insurance purposes.

Locals said when they later learned their homes were to be sold, it came as a bolt out of the blue.

A letter sent by Wemyss Properties to tenants at the end of last week gave no indication of the timescales involved and because a number of people are on short assured tenancies, or short-term leases, they only require to give a 40-day notice period if they want to evict.

Local councillor Andrew Rodger said the entire situation and the way it had been handled was nothing short of a disgrace.

“Wemyss Properties said they would meet with people on a one-to-one basis if they wanted but we feel it would be better for tenants to stick together as a group.

“What’s happening is a disgrace and is no way to treat an entire community.”

William Wemyss, proprietor of Wemyss Properties, said yesterday the company was conscious of its long-standing relationships within the community and of its “moral obligation” to give practical help to tenants anxious about the position.

“Wemyss Properties is committed to maintaining a dialogue with any tenants who are anxious, and to facilitate the sale of any individual properties to those tenants who might be interested in acquiring their homes,” he said.

He added, “Wemyss Properties will still retain a significant number of properties in the area and have made a commitment to residents that anyone who wishes to move and maintain their long-standing relationship with the company will be placed at the top of the waiting list for any houses that become available.”

Residents who wish to explore the option of buying their homes should contact either Peter Allen or George Hepburn-Scott at Savills on 0131 247 3700. Further information on the Wemyss Properties priority housing list is available from Denise Landels at Wemyss Properties, Town Hall, West Wemyss (tel 01592 653336).

Meanwhile, Mrs Livingstone intends to hold another public meeting at the Coaltown Institute on Monday, July 23, and has urged all tenants affected by the sale to attend.