ANGRY Tillicoultry residents forced from their homes due to the presence of RAAC staged a protest outside Clackmannanshire Council headquarters.
More than 20 homeowners marched outside Kilncraigs on Friday, September 20 and held a meeting to demand the council sit down with them to discuss the future of their homes.
The residents have been unable to access their properties since being evacuated last September.
The protest was led by Wilson Chowdhry, chairman of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, who has been championing the rights of those affected for some time now.
READ MORE: Meeting between RAAC residents and Clacks Council cancelled
“The main call was for a meeting with the council,” he said. “Homeowners want to get their views on the matter over.
“These homeowners have lost their homes to RAAC – we’re talking about people who have invested their lives and worked day and night to ensure they had a roof over their head.
“Now, they’ve been told their properties are unsafe, have been taken away from them and are, in essence, homeless.”
A meeting was set to go ahead between representatives of the council and residents to discuss their homes.
This was cancelled by the council just one day before it was set to go ahead, leaving many left furious that they have been kept silent once again.
READ MORE: Demolition considered for RAAC-hit flats
Another key fighting point for the group is that they would like pre-RAAC valuation prices for their properties if they are to be sold off.
A briefing note was delivered to residents last week, which outlined the three options being considered for their properties – repair, demolition and compulsory purchase orders.
Mr Chowdhry continued: “One of the key points that we continually raise is that homeowners desire to have a pre-RAAC valuation for their homes.
“They were initially told by Wilson Lees that that would be one of the desires of the council itself – that view is not shared unanimously around the council.
“These councillors are meant to be here to protect these residents – they seem to have overlooked that fact completely.
“This cancellation was not deserved, this meeting should have gone through.
“This is an attempt to stifle the democratic process and it’s a disgrace for any council to do that.
“I hope the chiefs at Clackmannanshire Council hang their heads in shame.”
The meeting was also attended by Brian Leishman, Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, who has been vocal in fighting for the rights of those affected.
Last week, Mr Leishman raised the issue in Westminster, calling for the government to step in and save these homeowners.
He added: “The last-minute cancellation of today's meeting is another example of the poor treatment RAAC-impacted residents have been victim of.
"We are talking about people who haven't had a place to call home for nearly a year – at the very least they deserve the respect of being able to air their views and tell their story.
"Speaking with residents at the protest I am delighted to hear that this mistreatment only strengthens their determination to fight for justice."
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