EDINBURGH councillors have agreed to pull out as the factor of minority-owned blocks following a vote of the housing committee on Monday.
Councillors voted six to five in favour of backing the motion, against SNP groups’ amendment calling for a delay in the decision.
An addendum by the Liberal Democrats and a separate amendment by the Green group on what conditions replacement factors should meet were also voted into the report.
The City of Edinburgh Council is currently the minority owner in several blocks of flats: Maidencraig Court (7.14%), Westfield Court (34.04%), Coillesdene House (17.07%), and several blocks in Saunders Street in Stockbridge.
Westfield Court, which is currently embroiled in a row over its future, will not be impacted, with the Council remaining as the factor.
A significant reason behind the recommendations is the several number of roles the Council plays in high-rise blocks, being at times the property factor, co-owner, landlord, and local authority all at once.
Explaining the recommendation by officers for the Council to pull out as the factor, a council officer said: “My view on this is that the four minority blocks that we have, the council has ownership in at the moment.
“Ultimately, at some stage in the near future or the more distant future, the council will no longer have these properties, and therefore that is why I am recommending that we start to move to remove ourselves as factor in those blocks, but supporting owners in order to transition to another organisation that can do that for the other majority owned blocks or fully owned council blocks.
“I fully take on board that we may want to take an opportunity to review what resources we have in place, and I suppose more importantly, what core services do we want to provide as officers through a factor in service in these majority or field council own blocks moving forward, and that is something that I will want to have a look at in the near future.”
Tom joined Deadline News in 2025 after graduating with a master’s degree in Journalism from Edinburgh Napier University. He has previously reported on Scottish and European politics in both print and broadcast, and is also a freelance football commentator.
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