Council rethinks ‘simply unaffordable’ £19,000 roof repair bills for high rise residents

Fife Council has also apologised to residents at the Ravenscraig flats in Kirkcaldy for the distress its letters caused last month. It has now pledged to cap their contribution to the £4.8million project at £7000 after encountering a significant backlash.

The local authority’s handling of the situation was slammed by residents following a heated meeting with officers. They branded Fife Council’s information as “amateurish at best” after failing to get the answers they wanted.

The work, described as “much needed and much overdue” was given the go-ahead after a legally required ballot of residents in September, but serious concerns were raised over the impact on individual flat owners, many of whom are elderly.

The tower blocks date from 1965 and the roofs have a circa 30-year lifespan, so there was no dispute they need to be improved - some tenants from the top floors have already been decanted because of the state of the roof and problems with damp - but residents were shocked when they were hit with the invoices which they said came out of the blue.

Contractors are set to begin work on the roofs, with the bill for each block standing at around £1.6million. The council has now capped individual bills at £7000 with Councillor Judy Hamilton, spokesperson for housing, admitting the £19,000 demanded originally was “simply unaffordable” for many home owners.

The council is now looking for external funding for the project, but that won’t happen until next year - and even if it does not come off, the residents won;t get left to pick up the tab beyond the agreed new limit.

Cllr Hamilton said: “The revised offer for owners’ contribution towards replacing the roofs at Ravenscraig follows a review by the council’s head of housing services at my request.

"As part of this review, officers explored options for external grant funding to help reduce overall project costs. Unfortunately, the opportunity to apply for external funding was not identified before the original letters were issued. I'm sorry for the distress owners have felt as a result.” She said high rise properties “present unique challenges” and understood why the original costs were so high, but accepted: “A contribution of £19,000 is simply unaffordable for many homeowners and I asked council officers to examine every possible way to reduce this burden. I'm pleased to confirm that the contribution has now been capped at £7,000 per household.”

On external funding, she said: “Officers have identified potential external funding opportunities. While we cannot apply until the new financial year, the Council will carry this risk to relieve pressure on owners. Importantly, the reduced offer of £7,000 does not depend on the outcome of external funding.

"Payment options are outlined in the letters sent to owners, and our factoring team is available to discuss individual arrangements. We remain committed to working with owners to ensure this project can proceed in a fair and manageable way.”