Residents of two Dundee multi-storey blocks earmarked for demolition have claimed they are being forced to move in beside “drug addicts” and other anti-social neighbours.
Efforts are being made to relocate the tenants in the remaining 63 households in Butterburn and Bucklemaker courts, with cash-strapped council bosses keen to see them out before winter.
But at a highly-charged meeting of the Derby Street Multis Residents’ Association on Tuesday night, the residents expressed their anger at the “completely unsuitable” alternative homes they are being offered.
The majority said the standard of the housing was not the problem, but the type of people living in the areas they are being offered.
“I am expected to move my children in beside drug addicts,” said one tenant. “Well, there is no way I am doing that.”
All four councillors for the Coldside ward were at the meeting, including housing convener Jimmy Black. He revealed that the council would now be making more of its properties available to the tenants in order to speed up the rehoming process. The percentage of total available council homes offered to those affected by the demolition project has been raised from 10 to 25%.
“There are more houses available now to be offered to you than before and we have improved the standard of what we are offering you,” he said.
He also suggested the tenants examine the possibility of relocating to the Dalfield Court multi and said strenuous efforts were being made with police to improve that particular block.
Other issues, including the possibility of “disruption” payments, fuel payments and the cost of removals, were also discussed during the meeting, with Mr Black pledging to find out what could be done.
Some tenants also accused the council of failing to ensure sufficient standards were kept at the Derby Street blocks while they were waiting to be rehomed.Water problemSeveral said they had been left without drinking water since Saturday due to a problem with the plumbing.
Responding to this accusation, Mr Black insisted the council would not fail in its obligations and urgent action would be taken to resolve any problems.
“If everything is as you say, and I am sure that it is, then that is not acceptable,” he said.
“I am really quite dismayed to hear that. There was an issue with a similar situation in another multi before and the problem was meant to have been resolved.”
He later had bottled water delivered to the worst-affected households.UnresolvedSpeaking after the meeting, Sarah Glynn told The Courier she did not feel anything concrete had been resolved by the discussions.
“There was a lot of things said and we were told they would look into what can be done, but that takes time and the wheels of the council move slowly,” she said.
“There is certainly a lot of concern at the idea of moving into the Dalfield Court multi because a lot of people have heard terrible things about it.”
On becoming housing convener, Mr Black said the thought of losing 374 “potentially attractive” homes troubled him and asked council officials to revisit the previous administration’s decision.
However, it was determined that the council could not afford to bring the blocks up to current housing standards, meaning the block had to be demolished.