Coalsnaughton residents banned from entering their homes after Dangerous Building Notices issued

Evacuated Coalsnaughton residents have been told they can’t access their properties after Dangerous Building Notices were placed on their homes.

Nearly 100 residents have been forced to leave their homes within the area after ground movement caused slabs to buckle, driveways to slope, and cracks to appear in some homes.

The first residents were evacuated on May 18, with many of them staying in nearby hotels and student accommodation for more than two months.

It comes after movements were linked to historic coal mining below the neighbourhood.

At a meeting last month, the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA) told affected residents that 60 homes on Benbuck View and Dunmoss View are to be demolished.

On Thursday evening, Dangerous Building Notices were served on several of these properties, meaning residents can no longer access their homes.

One Benbuck View resident, who received an email at 7pm informing them of the decision, called it a “tick box exercise” by the local council and claimed they will be losing out on thousands of pounds as a result.

“People have belongings in there, they are still paying kitchens and bathrooms off,” they told STV News. “I’ve spent over £60,000 on my property in the last five years. New kitchen, new bathroom, new garage.

“And that’s just now going to be lost because market value will not cover that. So I’m asking to get in and get things like door units, etc.

“We were told that once a market valuation is done we can do that, but now, because of a red notice, we can’t do that. So that’s more money written off.

“I think they’re just doing a tick box exercise and its ridiculous.”

A Clackmannanshire Council spokesperson said: “The Council has served Dangerous Building Notices on owners of properties in Benbuck View and Dunmoss View, Coalsnaughton.

“This action has been taken under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 following detailed inspections and professional advice from structural engineers, which identified defects that may present a risk to public safety.

“Working alongside our partners at the MRA, we will engage directly with those affected to ensure they receive clear information.”