IT has been alleged that multiple residents in the Dreghorn Estate have been notified of possible eviction by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
The housing estate, which is located near Dreghorn Barracks and is owned by the MOD, houses army veterans, service personnel, and their families.
The City of Edinburgh Council has been buying surplus properties on the estate in order to turn them into council housing.
Dr Scott Arthur, the MP for Edinburgh South West, has claimed that current residents have been notified about a possible termination of tenancy, despite the council confirming they are not currently planning to buy the properties in question.
In March 2023, the council bought 23 surplus homes in the Dreghorn estate, which have undergone repairs and remediation works to make them suitably available as council housing.
In October last year, they noted interest in 17 more, which will cost over £3.6m – an average of £225,000 for each house and garage.
A council report released earlier this month on this second phase of acquisition states: “The purchase of homes across Edinburgh will have a positive impact on equality and poverty through the provisions of good quality, affordable housing.
“Should this proposal be approved, there will be positive impacts on equality, health and human rights as increasing the number of self-contained properties will enable people to have more control over their social environment as there will be no restrictions on visitors.
“It will also have a positive impact on their work environment and positive economic impacts as there will be no restrictions placed on when a person can come and go from the property which will be of particular benefit to shift workers”.
Yesterday, Dr Scott Arthur drew attention to the support he has been offering to residents, who have seemingly been told they may be evicted by the MOD.
He said: “I understand that many Dreghorn Residents are experiencing uncertainty and anxiety following the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) notification regarding the possible termination of tenancies for properties under its control in our area.
“I want to assure people that I am actively working to support residents during this challenging time.
“My office has already taken several steps to help affected residents understand their options.
“We’ve contacted the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC), who have confirmed they do not currently plan to purchase the properties.
“We’ve also raised questions with the MOD in Parliament to seek further clarity.
“To further escalate this issue, I have requested councillor Conor Savage, our new representative for Fairmilehead, Oxgangs, and Colinton, to meet with the Council Housing Convenor to ensure this matter receives urgent attention.
“[I’ve] Requested a meeting with Maria Eagle, the UK Minister for Defence and Procurement, to discuss potential ownership options for the Dreghorn properties.
“This is particularly important in light of the recent MOD-Annington deal affecting 36,000 military homes across the UK, as we need to understand how this impacts our community.
“Beyond these actions, I and my team have been providing individual support to tenants, recognizing that each person’s situation is unique, whether it involves financial circumstances, former Armed Forces status, disability, or other factors.
“I am committed to representing the interests of Dreghorn residents in this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if you require any assistance. We are here to help.”
An MOD spokesperson said today (WED): “These properties are no longer required for Defence use, and as such were sub-let as a temporary measure.
“Civilian tenants renting homes that are not required for service personnel sign-up to two months’ notice to vacate.
“Sub-lets are always offered on a short-term basis only and cannot be considered as an alternate source of social housing.”
The MOD has also clarified that they are required to sell the homes as stated in Treasury guidelines, and that DIO wrote to all of the tenants in November 2024 to reassure them that, although the properties were to be sold, the MOD had no plans that would require them to vacate their home before the summer of 2025.
The DIO intends to hold a virtual meeting in the next few weeks to confirm their intent to gain vacant possession of the 38 properties, setting out the indicative timeline and to answer any questions the residents may have.
