Application to list Westfield Court refused

An application to list Westfield Court has been denied by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), paving the way for the building’s demolition.

In a decision published on Thursday (JUL 30), HES said that the decision was made due to the council’s ongoing plans to buy up flats in the building.

Westfield Court, a multi-storey block of flats which has stood in Gorgie for over 70 years, has faced uncertainty over its future for months amid severe problems.

While The City of Edinburgh Council is a minority owner, it remains as the factor of the building.

Council officers received notice in late May that HES were “likely” to approve an application to list the building, pausing a plan to buy up the flats ahead of demolition.

A summary of the decision by HES read: “Our assessment using the selection guidance shows that Westfield Court meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for listing.

“However, in line with our policy, we are not proceeding at this time with a proposal to list because there are development proposals at an advanced stage.

“Should the development proposals affecting the site not progress we would be in a position to consider our decision again.”

HES said that the decision was made in line with its policy to consider whether a listing may have implications over development proposals, in this case the council’s plan to purchase remaining properties.

The organisation further stated that it believed that “the progress made by The City of Edinburgh Council towards purchasing flats is material”, and that “there is an expectation among some owners that this will proceed. 

“Our understanding is that this would not happen if a listing was to proceed”, it wrote.

It added: “Although demolition has not been formally agreed by the Council at this stage, the Council’s housing and planning strategy for the site has been made public for some time and owners within the building have been in discussions about the sale of their properties.”

Questions over whether to list Westfield Court have been plagued by incertitude over the last two months.

Following council officers pausing plans to buy up remaining flats, HES confirmed that their early view was that Westfield Court was of “sufficient interest for listing.”

In June, the council confirmed that it would oppose and appeal a decision to list.

After over a month had passed from the initial target date of the decision of 3 June, HES told Deadline News on 7 July that the organisation was deciding whether to proceed with a consultation on whether to list the Gorgie block following discussions with the council.

In late May, tenant’s rights campaigners Living Rent supported the proposed listing of the block, branding it “a vital step”.

Living Rent chair Gordon Maloney said: “HES’s decision not to list Westfield Court is a concern for residents. But the key concern is that key repairs to the building have been neglected by the council with no sign of that changing.

“The council’s handling of Westfield Court has been consistently shocking. For years they have neglected to do proper repairs on the building and have completely failed as a landlord and factor. 

“The real issue is that even if the building were listed, residents would still be trapped in a building that is falling apart if the repairs were not completed. 

“The council needs to step up, complete the repairs and ensure that no resident is made homeless as a result of their negligence of Westfield Court.” 

Westfield Court is comprised of 94 flats. The council own 32 of the flats, while 62 are in private hands as of June.

Housing convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, Councillor Tim Pogson, confirmed that the council would resume discussions to purchase flats in the block.

He said: “I appreciate that this has been a very difficult time for everybody with an interest in Westfield Court and I am pleased we have more clarity over the future of the building. We’ll now be able to resume discussions with owners who are interested in selling their properties to us.

“We’ll be writing to owners with information on the next steps for the future of this complex building and will continue to provide support to those affected.”

This article is provided by the news agency Deadline News Limited and published here with permission. 

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