DEVASTATED homeowners who lost everything when a fierce blaze destroyed their properties say they have been left in limbo for six months because of the council’s refusal to flatten the site.
Residents in Whitelee in East Kilbride say they are willing to pay the £75,000 cost to have their burnt-out terraced row demolished - but they can’t move forward because of claims one of the homes wasn’t insured at the time of the fire.
They are now calling on council chiefs to enforce a demolition notice for the six properties which were gutted in the fire last year.
Alice Feehan told the Glasgow Times how she and her husband Patrick lost 40 years of treasured memories and belongings. They say the stress has taken an unimaginable toll on their health.
The 75-year-old said: “Our home is now just a shell and it’s awful to see. We walked away with just the clothes on our backs, we lost absolutely everything. The worst part was having to watch years of our lives go up in flames, I remember we were given just a few minutes to get out as the roof was at risk of caving in.
“Irreplaceable items given to me by my father, who was a prisoner of war are gone forever, along with precious photographs, all of our furniture and our clothes.”
Alice says that being left in a state of flux has made the trauma even worse.
She added: “It’s been extremely upsetting and very stressful. We are six months down the line and nothing has been done, the place is still a wreck and we are no further forward. We just want to rebuild our lives instead of living out of temporary accommodation.
“We need the council to get on with tearing it down, we simply can’t go on like this. Apart from anything else it’s an eyesore and is becoming a safety risk.”
Fire crews rushed to the scene last October after an electric blanket caught fire in pensioner Alex Ross’s upstairs bedroom.
The 75-year-old told how the fire spread to all six homes in less than an hour due to high winds. Smoke was seen from four miles away as the flames ripped through the properties' connecting roofs.
He said: "I was making dinner when the glass panels on my living doors started to steam up.
"I went to go upstairs to see what was wrong, but by then the entire house had started to fill with smoke."
The council secured the site in the days following the incident, but not a brick has been touched since.
The residents are now calling on the local authority to enforce a demolition notice which would allow them to start rebuilding the properties from scratch.
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Debbie and Alex Buchanan spoke to the Glasgow Times about the toll losing their home of 40 years has taken on their health.
Their daughter Donna told how they have been left frustrated by what’s gone on.
The 40-year-old said: “I grew up here and it is heartbreaking to see my childhood home lying in ruins.
“My parents lost everything and now all they want to do is be given the chance of starting afresh, but it’s being made impossible. We’ve offered to raise the cash to demolish the homes, but the council won’t enforce the notice that is in place. My mum and dad are stuck in limbo and it’s impacting their health.
“The council’s refusal to budge is putting so much unnecessary strain and stress on all the residents, many of whom are pensioners.”
Donna has called on the local authority to act to get the ball rolling.
She added: “We just want to get around the table with council bosses and get this sorted out. People are fed-up and have had enough now, their patience has run out.
“Six months on from the fire and not a single thing at the site has been touched, it’s just not right. If they had got on with things the new houses would have been almost finished by now – instead all we have is an eyesore and a reminder of one of the worst nights of our lives.”
South Lanarkshire Council says it has secured the site and have carried out their duties within the boundaries of the law.
The local authority added that residents need to continue working with their insurance companies to reach a resolution.
A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council said: "We have secured the site and carried out our duties within the context of the Building (Scotland) Acts.
"We are aware that the owners of these private properties are in discussion with their relevant advisers and insurance companies and we would encourage them to continue to do so.”
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