Issue - meetings

The Council resolved:

to note the deputation and thank Mr Chowdhry for his contribution.

The Council received a deputation from Wilson Chowdhry in relation to agenda item 9.5 - February 2025 RAAC Update.

Mr Chowdhry advised that he was Chair of the UK RAAC Campaign Group and he had recently met senior Council officers to discuss the situation. He believed that the voluntary acquisition process was stalling, homeowners were receiving insultingly low offers and only four homeowners were currently in discussions with the Council. He emphasised that compulsory purchase orders could not proceed without secured funding for a regeneration project, nor without clear evidence of structural risk, and this simply did not exist. Mr Chowdhry felt that the report clarified this, and he was glad the Council had finally come to this realisation, although it should never have taken so long.

Mr Chowdhry stated that many homeowners felt they were being pressurised into selling their homes at low values and there was real reputational damage to the Council. He underlined that not a single property had been acquired which demonstrated that voluntary acquisition was failing.

Mr Chowdhry referred to suggestions that had been put forward by residents and homeowners such as a roof replacement scheme and home swap scheme, however these had not been properly considered by the Council, which he felt proved there was a pre-determined agenda. Mr Chowdhry proposed a direct grant scheme for roof replacement, which he believed would pass all checks and balances apart from financial viability, and therefore urged the Council to redouble their efforts to secure funding from the Scottish Government.

Mr Chowdhry concluded by asking the Council if they would guarantee that the financial discussions were not being used to bypass proper procedures to push forward compulsory purchase orders. He emphasised that homeowners could not afford further delays - the UK RAAC Campaign Group was ready to work with the Council, however if the Council chose the wrong path, the group would not hesitate to challenge them at every level.

The Council asked questions of Mr Chowdhry and thanked him for his deputation.