Clune Park: The Facts
Read the Council's latest statement on Clune Park.
“The Greenock telegraph article dated 23 November 2016 on Clune Park presented unnamed sources opinion as fact without a single piece of evidence to support it. Telegraph readers deserve the facts.
Properties in Clune Park are all below the tolerable standard.
They are below the tolerable standard for a variety of reasons.
Inverclyde Council has issued demolition orders. Some landlords took the council to court and the evidence presented in court was dismissed by the Sherriff. While the council is hugely disappointed by this, there is limited legal recourse to challenge this judgement. Unlike the impression presented by the sources quoted in the Greenock Telegraph in the article dated 23 November 2016, Inverclyde Council is not in the business of throwing good money after bad.
There is no precedent for this level of legal action and the council is not keen on pursuing a course of continued legal action, such as a judicial review, which could, beyond the financial implications, put another two years onto this situation at Clune Park which, despite all of the councils activities to get those responsible for dealing with the appalling housing conditions, has already gone on too long already.
If readers are asking why doesn’t the council just walk away. The simple answer is that the council cannot walk away from Clune Park.
All councils have a legal duty to deal with properties within their area which are below the tolerable standard – and all properties in Clune Park are below the tolerable standard for housing in Scotland.
There are, broadly, two courses of action – repair or demolish.
Repair will be too costly and the condition and age of the buildings means this is not an option. The only course of action is demolition and a wholescale regeneration of the area. This course of action was agreed unanimously by the Safe and Sustainable Communities Committee, in May 2011. The decision to serve demolition orders was agreed unanimously by Education and Communities Committee in 2014. The condition of these properties has deteriorated significantly since
then.
Clune Park, in its current state, is a festering wound in Inverclyde.
Residents and landlords should be crystal clear – Inverclyde council will not be walking away from Clune Park.
Here are the facts:
1. Inverclyde council will pursue all avenues to secure the long term regeneration of Clune Park and councillors on the Education and Communities Committee have agreed to that course of action. This can include continued legal action, if required. There is no moratorium or delay on any potential legal action whatsoever by the Council.
2. The Council has and continues to speak directly to any party who has an interest in the future regeneration of Clune Park. When it comes to the landlords who have taken legal action against the council, all suggestions, proposals and ideas put forward by them have, so far, come to nothing.
3. The landlords or pursuers in the most recent legal action own 96 out of the 430properties at Clune Park.
4. The council has written to all proprietors letting them know that their property continues to be below the tolerable standard and even offering to put in place a survey of the property at no cost to them.
5.The latest condition report of the roofs highlights the potential for them to suffer a catastrophic collapse. This is something which is specifically and very pointedly highlighted in his latest judgement by the Sherriff.
6. The Sherriff in his latest judgement makes clear that the condition outlined in the council evidence is ‘particularly disturbing’ in relation to the condition of the properties and that the council as defender should use its authority to ensure that the sort of potential tragedy outlined in the latest report does not occur. That is what the council has been doing and will continue to do.
7. The council will be in further communications with proprietors about the condition of properties, particularly after the Sherriff’s statements and very clear concerns about the safety and structural stability of the properties.