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Petition details

Over 200 tenants in Lorne Street, Leith are facing eviction by the Agnes Hunter Trust, a charitable trust that owns over 100 flats in Lorne Street. The trust was established in 1954 by Miss Agnes Hunter. The properties were built by her father in the 1870ties and since then have been let by the Hunter family to the people of Leith. Miss Hunter herself lived for many years in Leith until she died in 1954. The properties and the income received from its tenants have always built the core of the charity. The trust informed all tenants on 11 June 2015 that it decided to dispose all of its properties within 3-4 years to re-invest the income from the sale of the properties and with a view to increasing the amount available for distribution to charities. The tenants with the support from MP Deidre Brock, MSP Malcolm Chisholm, Councillors Nick Gardner, Angela Blacklock and Cammy Day asked the trustees to put the evictions on hold for 12 months in order to set up a housing co-op with the support of the council but that request was denied and only a 4 months period was granted which will only be extended if we can agree with the landlord on a valuation basis for the property portfolio by then.


We kindly ask that the City of Edinburgh Council does everything possible within its powers, including financial support, to support the tenants to save the community and to set up a housing co-op.

Petition Status

This petition was considered at the Petitions Committee meeting of 5 November 2015.

Petition submitted by (Business or Individual)

Individual

Name of petitioner

Melanie Weigang

Opening date

19-Oct-15

Closing date

29-Oct-15

Total signatories

1098

Petition Outcome

The Petitions Committee on 5 November 2015 agreed:1) To note that the petitioner and representatives from the Agnes Hunter Trust would be invited to meet with the Vice Convener of the Health, Social Care and Housing Committee and Registered Social Landlords to discuss options for the future of the Community. 2) To agree that the outcome of the discussions and any other progress be reported to a future meeting of the Petitions Committee. 3) To note that a moratorium had been placed by the Agnes Hunter Trust on issuing notices to quit the properties until 1 July 2016 to allow residents to explore options for the future of the Community. 4) Committee Services to ask the Agnes Hunter Trust for a written copy of their statement presented to the Petitions Committee for wider circulation.