THE Scottish Government has been urged to release funding for Aberdeen properties affected by the discovery of RAAC after the council revealed it is having to pause upgrades to other city homes to pay to address the issue.
North East MSP Liam Kerr said the Scottish Government had “abandoned Aberdeen residents by not putting its hand in its pocket” after the local authority admitted it is having to “delay capital improvements” to its housing stock to pay for the crumbling concrete issue in Balnagask.
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In a letter, it said it will cost “tens of millions of pounds” to rectify the problem through demolition or remedial works.
In a further update given to Mr Kerr, the council revealed there are 131 ready to let stock for rehoming, but 154 homes and first-floor flats remain uninspected. A total of 54 engineering surveys have been carried out on the affected council homes.
Mr Kerr’s call in parliament comes as latest figures show new builds in Aberdeen fell from 1,182 in 2022 to 553 in 2023.
At Holyrood, Mr Kerr asked housing minister Paul McLennan: “Reported figures show the number of new builds in Aberdeen fell from 1,182 in 2022 to 553 in 2023.
“The council has said that due to the work needed to address RAAC in homes at Balnagask, other housing projects and improvements across the city will be delayed.
“Will the Scottish Government reverse its opposition to helping Aberdeen Council with the RAAC, in order that the council can get on with these other much-needed housing projects?”
In his response, Mr McLennan said: “I have met with Aberdeen City Council and we continue to work with them.”
Mr Kerr later said: “Scottish Government ministers have buried their heads in the sand and are abandoning Aberdeen residents by refusing to put their hand in their pockets to deliver the funding needed to cope with this major issue.
“Balnagask residents, who have been placed in this terrible situation through no fault of their own, require more support than they are getting while others across the city are also suffering due to the pause in housing improvements.
“Rather than play political games with people’s livelihoods, the SNP-Green Government must use its highest ever block grant from the UK Government to give immediate support to the crisis which exists within Aberdeen’s depleted housing stock.”
