Edinburgh residents forced to move from ‘forever homes’ into temporary housing after mineshaft discovered

Edinburgh families say they are living a “nightmare” as they face leaving their homes due to the discovery of a mine shaft under the properties.

Residents living in seven properties in Edgelaw View in Gilmerton are set to be placed into temporary accommodation for around two months from late August, with “precautionary” groundworks set to be carried out.

They have been told by developer Miller Homes and property manager Places for People Scotland that the works are expected to take around six to eight weeks.

But there is concern among residents that the issue will carry on beyond this time frame.

Ashleigh O’Donnell, who lives in the street with her three children, aged eight, five and two, said she has concerns over what the disruption will mean for her school-age children.

Residents at a Gilmerton housing estate will need to evacuate as work is carried out | Supplied

She said: “They could dig up the ground and find even more issues that could take longer. And then we're in this temporary accommodation for much longer and the worst part is it's the lead up to Christmas when the kids will be going back to school.

“That's a countdown. The next countdown sort of thing is the October week. Then the countdown is to Christmas.

“It’s just a nightmare.”

Ashleigh said she feels like she has been left with unanswered questions due to a lack of communication from Miller Homes and Places for People.

She said: “No one is willing to take responsibility and give you any answers that you're asking... No one is really taking responsibility to communicate.”

Another resident, mother-of-three Carly Millar, said that she was “devastated” to learn that she would have to return to temporary housing after an eight-year battle to find her “forever home”.

She said: “I don't even have any family regardless of where I live. But for my kids’ sake, I feel for them. They've made friends in the street, we're all good neighbours, they all get on. How is this going to affect my children? I don't know. I'm upset about the whole situation, to be honest.”

Seven families in the Edgelaw View development will need to move out of their homes for between six and eight weeks | Supplied

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The families are set to be sent to properties across Edinburgh and the Lothians, with some being offered homes as far away as South Queensferry while the works are carried out.

And that means parents are left footing the bill for taxis to schools 17 miles away - which will only be reimbursed by Places for People at a later date.

Carly said: “I've got three kids at school and their solution to getting the kids to school was putting them in a taxi, but that's not an upfront cost from them.

“We've then got to be able to pay for all this, and then they don't give us all the money back until we've then moved back into our property.”

There are also fears that the underground works will cause damage to the families’ homes.

Ashleigh said: “We want to know what damage could be caused to our houses. If they're digging the gardens up and digging underground, the vibrations are definitely going to cause movement to the houses.”

A Places for People Scotland spokesperson said representatives from the company had visited the affected families to discuss concerns, adding that the works are precautionary and there is “no current or immediate risk”.

“The developer of the homes, Miller Homes, recently informed us that a previously unidentified mining feature beneath specific locations within the development have been identified and require preventative groundworks to be carried out,” he said.

“We’d like to reassure customers that these works are precautionary and designed to protect homes against any future issues – there is no current or immediate risk. To allow the works to be completed safely, a small number of households will need to move into temporary accommodation for up to eight weeks from late August.

“We appreciate that this will be unsettling for customers and their families and we are working to make this process as easy as possible and with no extra costs. We will be supporting with the logistics and costs of moving, suitable alternative accommodation, and any wider impacts on daily life.”

A spokesperson for Miller Homes said it had “identified a requirement for additional groundwork” impacting properties at Edgelaw View impacting both occupied and unoccupied properties.

The spokesperson added: “A few Miller Homes customers will experience a slight delay in moving into their new homes and we have communicated with the impacted customers regarding their revised entry dates.

“These works are precautionary and designed to protect homes against any future issues. While there is no immediate risk to homes, the safety and wellbeing of residents is our top priority. We are working with Places for People to ensure their tenants receive the information and support they need to minimise disruption while we complete these works.”