Issue - meetings

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to note that the Chief Officer – Housing was currently working on literature in regards to the establishment of a local service for assisting individuals affected by RAAC and this would be shared with the Torry Community RAAC Campaign Group in due course;

(ii)            to note that an update would be circulated to members via the clerk from the Chief Officer – Finance in relation to any update with the request for fiscal flexibility from the UK Government;

(iii)          to note that details on acceptable level of vibrations during demolition would be included in the tender documents;

(iv)          to request that the Executive Director – Families and Communities, provide an update to members via the clerk in regards to the workshop to be held with affected residents;

(v)           to note that officers continue to try and find the balance between applying our professionalism to the workstreams associated with the council's response to the discovery of RAAC in properties and our empathy for those tenants and homeowners, in particular affected by the discovery of RAAC in their homes. The proposed plans included within this report will continue to adapt in light of changing circumstances. Throughout the process officers will continue to endeavour to respond to the needs of residents and homeowners wherever possible;

(vi)          to note that AtkinsRéalis had been procured to manage and deliver the demolition phase.

(vii)         to approve the indicative demolition proposals and sequence of phases, noting that only vacant terraces/blocks will be demolished;

(viii)       to agree that to deliver the demolition in the indicative sequence there are interdependencies on items such as utility disconnections, property ownership and asbestos surveys. As a result, the indicative sequence may be subject to change and will not commence until all interdependencies are resolved;

(ix)          to note the budget in relation to RAAC at Balnagask forms part of the Council budget held on Wednesday 5 March 2025;

(x)           to agree that any changes to the indicative phases of demolition be shared with Elected Members via a Service Update and of course, with the affected communities.

(xi)          to approve the ‘Demolition Engagement Plan’ as shown in Appendix F;

(xii)         to note the landscaping options available in Appendix E and instructs the Chief Officer Capital to engage with the community on the landscaping options;

(xiii)       to instruct Chief Officers Housing, Capital and Corporate Landlord to consider the landscaping options more fully when they report back to Committee on the outcomes of the viability of the alternative options presented by the Torry RAAC Campaign Group Management Committee; and

(xiv)       to agree that no more verbal reports were required to be presented by the Chief Officer – Housing at this committee, regarding rehoming numbers, given the current stage of delivery.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officers – Capital, Housing and Corporate Landlord, which advised that at the Council meeting of 21 August 2024, the Council considered the findings from an options appraisal of various RAAC mitigation actions and agreed that the optimum option was the demolition and rebuild of homes on site.  There was an instruction for the Chief Officer - Capital to proceed with the demolition aspect of this, and report back to the next appropriate meeting of the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee on the proposed initial phasing of demolition and landscape details.  This report outlined the proposed initial phasing of demolition and landscaping.

Council also instructed the Chief Officer - Capital, following consultation with the Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee, and the Chief Officer - Procurement, to procure appropriate works and services, and enter into any contracts necessary for the delivery of the demolition, masterplanning and landscaping works without the need for further approval from any other Committee of the Council subject to due diligence, consistency with the financial model and affordability and regular update on progress of project delivery to the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee.   This report provided an update on that instruction.

Finally at the meeting of 5^th February 2025, Council noted the alternative options proposed by the Torry RAAC Campaign Group Management Committee and instructed officers to explore the feasibility, benefits and risks associated with each option, alongside any other identified opportunities to support owners, and report the findings to a future meeting of the Communities Housing and Public Protection Committee.  The recommendations in this report reflected the flexibility required to both respond to the instruction from the 21^st August 2024 around demolition and landscaping and fully explore the viability of options with the Torry RAAC Campaign Group Management Committee.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee

(a)          note that officers continue to try and find the balance between applying our professionalism to the workstreams associated with the Council's response to the discovery of RAAC in properties and our empathy for those tenants and homeowners, in particular affected by the discovery of RAAC in their homes. The proposed plans included within this report will continue to adapt in light of changing circumstances. Throughout the process officers will continue to endeavour to respond to the needs of residents and homeowners wherever possible;

(b)          note that AtkinsRéalis have been procured to manage and deliver the demolition phase;

(c)          approve the indicative demolition proposals and sequence of phases, noting that only vacant terraces/blocks will be demolished;

(d)          agree that to deliver the demolition in the indicative sequence there are interdependencies on items such as utility disconnections, property ownership and asbestos surveys. As a result, the indicative sequence may be subject to change and will not commence until all interdependencies are resolved;

(e)          note the budget in relation to RAAC at Balnagask forms part of the Council budget held on Wednesday 5 March 2025;

(f)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9