Lorne Street in Leith

Charitable trust in Edinburgh moves to evict tenants in order to sell homes

Leading politicians are backing a petition to save over 100 families from eviction after a charitable trust decided to put their homes up for sale.

The Agnes Hunter Trust said it will sell the homes in Lorne Street in Edinburgh’s Leith district, as a more effective way of maintaining income that can be given out as grants to the local community.

But campaigners say the trust is refusing their request to give them a year to turn the homes into a local housing cooperative run by the community.

Instead the 200 tenants living in the homes have been given four months statutory notice to quit and find alternative rented accommodation.

We’re not asking for much – just a year

Now leading local politicians including Deidre Brock MP, Malcolm Chisholm MSP and councillors Nick Gardner, Angela Blacklock and Cammy Day have urged trustees to put the evictions on hold to enable tenants to get a business plan together.

Petitioner Melanie Weigang said: “Over 200 tenants in Lorne Street, Leith are facing eviction.

“We ask that 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.”

The trust was initially established in 1954 by Miss Agnes Hunter with the properties built by her father in the 1870s.

Since then, they have been let by the Hunter family to the people of Leith. The properties and the income received have been the core income source for the charity, which then uses the money to support good works in the community.

Tenant Lucy Dey said herself and many others had nowhere else to go.

“We’re not asking for much – just a year. By then we’re confident we’d have a co-op and the homes will remain in the community.”

A spokesperson for the Miss Agnes Hunter Trust said: "We are aware of the petition lodged with City of Edinburgh Council.

"The Trustees are in discussion with residents and their representatives regarding their desire to look at the possibility of establishing a housing co-operative.

“In light of this, since the beginning of September, the Trust has placed a moratorium on any further notices to terminate leases.

“We have given assurances to Cllr Cammy Day and tenants that the Trust will give tenants and the Council up to the 6 January 2016 to report back on the viability of and potential for a tenant’s co-operative at Lorne Street.

“As part of this work, our agents, Rettie and Co, have issued a letter to all tenants seeking confirmation of their tenancy agreements and individual leases.

“The trust will reconvene in January to reassess all the information available to them at that time.”