West Wemyss: Fife Council & Scottish Government buy out properties at centre of eviction threat
Tenants in a Fife village facing the threat of mass eviction have been given a lifeline after the Scottish Govenment, and Fife Council, agreed to buy the homes.
It means they will be able to remain in their houses which will become part of the local authority’s social housing stock.
The Scottish Government had pledged half the cash to buy the 26 properties from London-based Torah Capital Limited and TC CAPS3 Limited. That was matched today after a decision taken at the council’s Cabinet meeting to draw a line under a time of extreme worry for residents.
The eviction notices were issued by Torah earlier this year, just months after they bought the homes from Wemyss Estates in a £2million deal.
That left tenants devastated, with fears the move would “rip the heart out of the community.” Over 80 people packed a public meeting, and councillors, MSPs and MPs have been working hard behind the scenes to find a solution.
The council will now continue engagement with Torah Capital and TC CAPS3 to progress and finalise negotiations on the proposed purchase. Subject to a successful conclusion, and the completion of all necessary legal formalities, the council will take ownership of the properties and upgrade them over time so they meet housing standards.
Councillor David Ross, leader of Fife Council, said it was the right thing to do.
He said: “This has been a very difficult situation all round but especially for the tenants involved who have faced great uncertainty and the prospect of losing their homes. I am pleased that it has been agreed today that the council should step in to buy these properties and that we have been able to fulfil our promise to protect the tenants.
"I welcome the contribution towards the purchase costs from the Scottish Government, but there will still be a significant cost falling on the council both to purchase the properties and to undertake the work to bring them up to the standards we expect.
"Nevertheless, this is the right thing to do. This will end the uncertainty for tenants and help keep this community together."
The council’s decision came on the back of £1.9million from the Scottish Government.
David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy - whose constituency takes in West Wemyss - welcomed the move, and also criticised Torah for its actions.
The SNP politician said: “This situation should never have arisen, and I remain disgusted at the callous behaviour of Torah Capital, and I was honoured to stand with the residents of Wemyss who almost lost their homes to faceless financial raiders, and to have facilitated meetings between the residents and Fife Council in addition to making representations on their behalf to the Scottish Government.
“I’m delighted that the Scottish Government, under the guidance of Shirley Anne Somerville, the new Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing, has stepped forward and facilitated a resolution to this crisis by making what I understand to be just under £2 million available to Fife Council to purchase all of the affected properties. Without this intervention, this positive outcome would not have been possible.”
Mr Torrance was one of a number of politicians who said they were given assurances by Torah that there would be no change to their status - a pledge he described as “a cruel deception” as eviction notices followed.