People power has helped put a hold on the controversial scheme to demolish Edzell’s former Inglis Court sheltered housing complex.
Instead, Angus Council will put a £3.5 million affordable housing project on the back burner until a string of possible options for the future of the village site are costed and considered.
The outcome of a two-hour debate at the start of a marathon online full council on Thursday was hailed by community figures after impassioned pleas to the virtual meeting.
The once-popular complex now lies empty after occupancy fell away in recent years.
That is despite some £600,000 of investment there over the last decade.
A scheme to knock down the 25 flats and replace them with 21 new affordable homes was backed by councillors as far back as 2018, and received planning approval earlier this year.
Part of the project cash will come from the Scottish Government.
But as demolition loomed closer, the community rallied and an open-air protest meeting led to more than 750 locals signing a petition calling for Inglis Court’s return to sheltered accommodation.
Tears
The personal impact on those who once lived in the complex was given to councillors by Sarah Turner, an NHS nurse for more than 30 years who is now closely involved with the Cottage community facility for the elderly.
Mrs Turner told the meeting: “I don’t want to talk about policies, politics, finances and carbon emissions.
“I am not an expert on those. I want to talk about the human cost.
“Demand for Inglis Court fell away because there was no warden facility.
“The whole atmosphere completely changed and it just felt like a one-bedroom flat with no-one to look after you.
“One person cried in front of me and said he had spent many happy years at Inglis Court but would have to move out because it just wasn’t the same place.”
In a separate development, Angus developer Mark Guild lodged a £400,000 bid for the complex with a pledge to return it to sheltered housing.
Options appraisal
The move which led to the project being stalled came through an amendment by Brechin and Edzell councillor Kenny Braes which was unanimously agreed by all councillors.
It will task officials with getting independent valuations for Inglis Court as a vacant site with the existing buildings; a cleared site with the approved planning permission and the value of the existing 25 properties if they were sold individually.
In addition, a full appraisal around a range of options will be drawn up.
Those include redevelopment according to the existing plan; open market sale; third party lease to provide sheltered housing; a lease to a holiday let company or refurbishment to family housing.
Inveresk Community Council chairman Gus Leighton, who also addressed the meeting, said he was pleased with the outcome.
He commented: “The main objective of the local petition was to get this matter properly discussed by the elected members, with all the relevant facts and options before them.
“We (again, the general ‘we’) hope that the present Inglis Court will be resurrected to be sheltered or retirement housing and will again be a happy community within Edzell, whether under Angus Council or an outside body.
“We look forward to Angus Council reaching what the petition signators will consider to be a satisfactory outcome here.