Aberdeen City Council to move ahead with plans to demolish hundreds of RAAC-affected homes

Aberdeen City Council will move ahead with plans to demolish hundreds of RAAC-affected homes in Torry “with immediate effect”.

While scores of council tenants have moved out and relocated to new homes elsewhere in the city, private homeowners have been left behind.

Local authority chiefs held talks with homeowners in June and a survey was issued to give them the chance to share their thoughts on four potential options.

These were voluntary acquisition, carrying out work themselves to make their homes safe, roof replacement and a property swap.

While these talks were under way, the council halted its demolition plans for local authority-owned blocks containing the “bubbly” concrete.

But now that is done, planning and preparation works for knocking down RAAC-affected council homes will start up again as soon as possible.

A paper before members of the communities, housing and public protection committee this morning stated it was “considered prudent” to kick-start the work.

Out of 138 privately owned properties, just 25 responded to initial calls for feedback, so a follow-up letter was sent out in July.

As a result of this, several homeowners are in talks with officers to move to council houses as tenants going forward.

Voluntary acquisition will stay open as an option to all private owners until the end of January 2026.

No-one opted for a roof replacement so that will not be taken forward as an option.

Ten residents were interested in a property swap.

Under this option, homeowners would sell their house to the council and buy a property from the local authority.

The council has since found 26 suitable homes that are available and residents will be able to bid for the ones they are interested in.

Council chiefs will also move forward with plans to redevelop the entire Balnagask site.

They will draw up plans to rebuild the area, replacing all 372 buildings that are expected to be knocked down.

Before any of this work starts, further engagement sessions with residents will be held to discuss concerns around the demolition process and what can be done to stop any interruption.

Proposed hours of operation on the site, noise and dust suppression, site security, and road access is expected to be addressed.

The discussion came as Torry homeowners spoke out at the meeting to share their concerns about the current situation.

Ian Lippe explained that many people can’t afford the options that have been put before them, claiming some could be left bankrupt.

He told members that while the local authority’s offers look generous, residents believe they are “unviable”.

Meanwhile, fellow resident Paula Fraser slammed Aberdeen City Council’s handling of the situation.

She said: “They should hang their heads in shame of the distress, upheaval and lack of support they have delivered.

“They may be content in knowing that 31 homeowners have moved, but the majority have only buckled under the pressure of living in an unsafe, unkept, unserviced community.

“They haven’t moved because they wanted to, they have been gaslighted and bullied out.”

Ms Fraser also raised concerns over attempted robberies, bins overflowing, lanes and stairwells covered in weeds and debris, saying the area was now “dangerous”.

Meeting convener SNP councillor Miranda Radley said the masterplan move showed the council’s intention to rebuild the area.

She added: “There may be a range of masterplans worked up, identifying opportunities on a fully cleared site but also master planning in event that some owners wish to remain in their properties and undertake their own remedial works.

“This will allow council officers to engage with developers and other housing operators on the opportunity which might be achieved to create a mixed tenure community, which is something that we aim to see through our local housing strategy.”

However, Labour councillor Simon Watson questioned how a demolition plan could be created while hundreds still live in Torry.

He said: “The large majority of affected homeowners cannot agree to these proposals, because it would leave them financially destitute.

“They cannot just move forward to have their houses flattened and to master planning wonderland in the future.”

He urged council chiefs to consider alternative proposals put forward by the Raac campaigners that could save the local authority cash.

However, this was shot down after councillors voted to move ahead with the existing council plan.