'Unbearable' stress for owners facing only £15k compensation for Scottish homes with faulty RAAC concrete

A group of 138 home owners in Torry, Aberdeen, say they have been told they could receive “home loss payments” of up to £15,000 if the council’s plan to bulldoze their properties, which contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) goes ahead. Other properties, in the Balnagask area of Aberdeen, are also affected.

The council is due to also pay them the market value of their homes. However, that is minus the cost of the Raac roof panels, which could run to tens of thousands of pounds. A further payment for “disturbance” has not been confirmed.

Torry resident John Meiklejohn said he believed he could have a “huge shortfall” on equity and could lose more than £70,000 on his property.

"The stress that this is putting myself and the other householders under is unbearable,” he told the BBC.

"We go from flitting between anger and just complete depression. It’s very difficult because there’s too many unknowns. This has now been going on for a year, not knowing what’s going to be happening.”

Concerns about Raac emerged last year, prompting governments and councils around the UK to assess buildings for the collapse-prone concrete material’s presence.

Mr Meiklejohn said residents plan to fight the proposals until they are happy with the level of compensation.

“I think I’ve got no choice, but to refuse it and keep fighting – one way or another – until we are compensated fully," he said.

"We feel that our homes have been stolen from us, That we’re potentially being thrown out onto the streets by a very unsupportive and unsympathetic council.”

The council is also to pay back legal costs to those affected, but it is not clear when that would begin.

Homeowner Amie Bruce said: “Does it start from the point of appointing a solicitor? Because if that’s the case, it might only give some people who have done that until next September.

“Or does it come from the day your valuation is done? Or is the 12 months from the time you hand over your keys?

"I’m not going to be in a position to buy a house within the year, which means my legal fees won’t be covered for buying a new property, because they will only be covered for 12 months."

Ms Bruce said she fears she could still have £50,000 of her mortgage to pay back on her demolished property.

She said: “I’m either going to have to make myself homeless because I can’t afford to pay the rent for the place I’m being offered or I’m going to have to make myself bankrupt because I can’t afford to pay the mortgage that will be outstanding, and I’ll never be able to buy another property.”

An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said owners and tenants were being offered “rehoming support”.

The spokesperson said: “The council is aiming to purchase private properties by voluntary agreement in order to deliver demolition across the entire site, thereby providing the greatest flexibility for future redevelopment.

"As agreed at full council on August 21, owners are being offered the current market value along with reasonable legal costs, and home loss and disturbance payments.”