Edinburgh council meeting halted as protesters storm building over proposed demolition of flats
Edinburgh council meeting halted as protesters storm building over proposed demolition of flats.
An Edinburgh council meeting was abruptly halted when angry demonstrators rushed the premises to fight proposals to demolish a tower of flats.
Protests over the planned demolition of Westfield Court in Gorgie delayed the council’s housing committee meeting on Tuesday morning, with approximately 20 individuals entering the conference room.
Participants angrily requested that the council instead work on renovating the building. The plans to demolish the structure were unveiled earlier this month, reversing earlier plans to renovate it.
Council officials stated that the deteriorating circumstances inside rendered it ‘practically or financially sustainable’ to continue investing.
A report to councillors said that the building’s waste outflow pipes were in severe condition. Sewage was constantly overflowing flats in numerous blocks, adding to a lengthy list of other concerns plaguing the 73-year-old structure.
When the report was released ahead of the meeting, housing convener and Labour councillor Tim Pogson stated that the council had the building’s occupants’ best interests in mind.
He kept going: “It’s just not a situation that we want at all, I can’t think of anything worse than having a situation where dirty water, sewage is coming into properties.” It’s completely unacceptable on every level.”
Several Westfield Court residents spoke in deputations during the meeting, expressing their dissatisfaction with the council’s management of the facility.
The public gallery in the committee meeting room was packed, with some people standing on stairs and on the floor near the door. Many of the building’s troubles concern risers, which bring utilities up the building’s rear and into the flats.
According to the assessment, the risers were only accessible from within people’s flats, were narrow and long, lacked safe access/working platforms, and contained asbestos. *We’re now running a large Black Friday membership promotion, and there’s never been a better opportunity to become a subscriber.
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