Damp causes problems for tenants at former Thurso townhouse
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TENANTS were moved out of a former Thurso townhouse, which was refurbished by Highland Council at a cost of nearly £700,000 three years ago, because of problems with dampness.
That was confirmed this week by the local authority as investigations are carried out into what went wrong.
The historic property in Princes Street and the adjoining former shop in Sir John’s Square were renovated after being compulsorily purchased by Highland Council. The townhouse, which was built in the 1800s, was neglected for many years and dubbed an eyesore before the council took it over.
The buildings were converted into three modern one-bedroom flats each with their own access but a problem with "water ingress" and damp was discovered in October last year, according to the council.
A local authority spokeswoman said: "After identifying issues with the flats making them prone to damp, the housing service has assisted tenants to move out to alternative accommodation while investigations are carried out into the cause and possible solutions.
"As this is a grade B-listed building, single-glazed sash-and-case windows had to be retained and repaired. The council is investigating the installation of secondary glazing which will improve the thermal performance and reduce condensation.
"The basement flat has suffered water ingress and exploratory excavations in Sir John’s Square will be carried out to determine the source."
She was unable to specify the cost of the work, how long it will take to fix the problem or when the tenants can expect to move back to their homes.
Asked how many tenants have been moved out, the spokeswoman replied: "We cannot comment on individual tenants' circumstances."
Councillor Struan Mackie, who represents Thurso and Northwest Caithness, is unhappy with the situation.
"It is hugely disappointing to have a problem with a house we spent £700,000 on and to find it is not fit for purpose a few years later," he said. "It is also unacceptable for the tenants.
"It is a listed building, which means regulations are quite tight, but ultimately before the you put in a significant amount of taxpayers' money you have to be sure it is suitable in the long term.
"We have to see what can be done as tenants need safe and habitable places to live. Highland Council will have to foot the bill and put it right."
He added: "I will raise this with the council as we have to learn lessons from what happened and ensure our procedures are robust and that we are doing right by our tenants."
The townhouse fell into a state of disrepair and suffered from a lack of maintenance over many years. To save the building and the adjoining shop, the council bought them following a week-long public inquiry in 2013.
The renovation work preserved many of the original features including the sash-and-case windows, original timber doors, skirtings and facings, and ornate plaster cornices while the original roofing slates were reinstated.
Stonemasons rebuilt the window openings at the shop front and the gable chimney head, while the external walls were lime rendered in keeping with their original appearance.
The tender for the contract was £679,192, while legal costs for a compulsory purchase order were £20,743, taking the total cost to £699,935. The renovation work was completed in 2016.
