Frustration as wait goes on for completion of council housing

Prospective tenants of new council houses in Brathwic Terrace are becoming increasingly frustrated at the length of time they are taking to complete.

 

Some have now been waiting since last September when they were first offered their new homes in Brodick and now pressure is being put on builders Ashleigh (Scotland) Limited to get the development finished, with workers being billeted on the island and work continuing over the May Day bank holiday weekend.

 

Nearby residents also want to know when there will be an end to the constant construction traffic they have endured for three years since the first work to clear the site began, with only a brief lull during the Covid lockdown.

 

Considerable damage has been caused to the roads in Brathwic Place and Brathwic Terrace, which is the only way in and out of the new 34 home development, by heavy lorries and dumper trucks.

 

Arran MSP Kenneth Gibson has been contacted by several of the new tenants still waiting on their new houses, including one who feared they would have to take temporary accommodation on the mainland as there was none available on the island.

 

Head of housing  at North Ayrshire Council (NAC) Yvonne Baulk told the MSP: 'I can confirm that phases 1 and 2 of the Brathwic Terrace development are now complete and the new tenants for these phases have been able to move in. It is anticipated the first homes within phase 3 of the development will be handed over to the new tenants during May 2022.'

 

Mr Gibson said: 'I am pleased building work is now being expedited and that phase 3 houses will be handed over this month. However, it is of concern that at least one prospective tenant might have had to move to the mainland, had she not found alternative short-term accommodation on Arran. I have asked NAC to address this lack of temporary provision as other islanders facing homelessness should not have to be rehoused on the mainland.'

 

A North Ayrshire Council spokesman said: 'We have been working closely with the contractor throughout the construction of Brathwic Terrace. Unfortunately, the delays at the site have been due to labour and material shortages associated with Covid-19 as well as disruption and cancellations to the ferry service to the island.

 

'Twenty of the 34 homes have been completed and we expect tenants to move into the remainder of the new homes during spring 2022.

 

'In addition, we intend to undertake repairs to the roads leading to the site, however, the extent of this work and the completion date have still to be agreed.'

 

[gallery columns="2" ids=

 

 

Some of the finished houses in the new Brathwic Terrace development. 01_B18brathwic01

 

Some of the 20 houses which have been finished. 01_B18brathwic02

 

The terrible state of the road at the entrance to the new houses. 01_B18Brathwic03