UK: Six weeks after an email from the Scottish Housing Minister’s office offered a long-awaited meeting, Tillicoultry’s RAAC homeowners are still waiting for answers. 

On 1 October 2025, Emily Hornsey, Assistant Private Secretary to Cabinet Secretary for Housing Màiri McAllan MSP, wrote to Lynsey McQuater, Chair of the Tillicoultry RAAC Campaign Group, confirming that Ms McAllan was available to meet residents on 19 November in Clackmannanshire. The message seemed to promise progress at last for the hundreds of homeowners displaced and financially devastated by the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their homes. 

"Good afternoon 

With sincere apologies for the delay, I am following up on your request to meet with the Cabinet Secretary to discuss RAAC in private housing. The Cabinet Secretary would be able to meet with you in Clackmannanshire on the morning of Wednesday 19 November if agreeable. I have copied in our officials from the RAAC team who will be able to liaise further with you on the logistics of this meeting. 

 Kind regards, 

Emily 

 Emily Hornsey 

Assistant Private Secretary to Màiri McAllan MSP | Cabinet Secretary for Housing" 

Yet, with less than two weeks remaining, no time or venue has been set, and repeated requests for information from campaigners have gone unanswered. 

For Tillicoultry’s homeowners — many of whom have been out of their homes for over two years, still paying both mortgages and rent, and watching their properties deteriorate — this latest delay is more than bureaucratic frustration; it’s a symbol of political indifference. 

Government Apathy Meets Local Injustice 

While Clackmannanshire Council continues to press forward with a controversial roof replacement project costing residents over £30,000 plus VAT, the Scottish Government has made it clear that no dedicated funding will be provided for RAAC-affected homes. 

In a recent Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee session, Cabinet Secretary Màiri McAllan MSP ruled out any Scottish Government fund to assist councils or homeowners. Responding to Fulton McGregor MSP (Coatbridge and Chryston), she described RAAC as “a building standards issue” rather than a safety or public funding matter. 

“RAAC is a product which, when maintained properly, can remain usable and safe,” McAllan said. 
“It is still used in countries throughout the world… but public money simply cannot stretch to that scale.” 

“The position on funding in respect of RAAC is that it is a homeowners’ issue — essentially a matter of building maintenance.”  

“There will be no RAAC pot of money from the Scottish Government. The only government across the United Kingdom that has flexibility to respond to unforeseen expenditure of this kind is the UK Government, which is why I am pressing them to create a national RAAC fund.” 

Her words landed hard on the hundreds of displaced families now facing financial ruin, many of whom are trapped paying both rent and mortgages for homes they cannot access. 

Meanwhile, a letter from Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander MP to Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, dated 5 November 2025, shifted responsibility firmly back to Holyrood: 

“The powers of the UK Government to act are limited, given that housing is a devolved issue. The Barnett Formula ensures that any additional funding allocated in England for specific purposes, such as the repair of buildings affected by RAAC, will result in consequential funding for the Scottish Government. We would expect the Scottish Government to allocate the necessary resources to address the concerns of those affected by RAAC.” 

This political tennis match — where responsibility bounces between Edinburgh and Westminster — has left homeowners in despair, with no relief in sight and mounting financial pressure as Clackmannanshire pushes forward with unaffordable roof replacement schemes. 

A Tale of Two Councils: Compassion in Fife, Crisis in Clackmannanshire 

In Clackmannanshire, the council clings rigidly to its Scheme of Assistance Strategy, which offers only advice — no grants, no loans, and no financial relief. This stands in stark contrast to the authority granted under Section 71 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, which empowers councils to provide direct support in emergencies. 

By comparison, Fife Council has shown what real leadership looks like. After public outrage over plans to charge homeowners up to £19,000 each for roof repairs in Kirkcaldy’s Ravenscraig flats, Fife revised its proposals and capped contributions at £7,000 per household. 

Housing spokesperson Cllr Judy Hamilton said it best: 

“A contribution of £19,000 is simply unaffordable for many homeowners… I asked officers to examine every possible way to reduce this burden. I’m pleased to confirm that the contribution has now been capped at £7,000 per household.” 

That decision, reported by Allan Crow in the Fife Free Press (4 November 2025), demonstrated compassion and creativity — qualities painfully absent in Clackmannanshire’s approach. 

Homeowners’ Voices: Desperation and Disbelief 

Almost a year before the Scottish Government’s decision to use the Affordable Homes Fund to support homeowners in Aberdeen, Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, had already raised the issue directly with the former Housing Minister, the First Minister, and numerous local authorities, including through deputations across the country. At the time it appears there was simply no appetite for such a solution. In his most recent letter (3rd November 2025) to Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan MSP and to Kevin Wells, Strategic Director: Place at Clackmannanshire Council, he reiterated this proposal — seeking fair compensation for RAAC homeowners and the creation of an energy-efficient new-build project that would benefit both residents and the council. Despite the clear precedent and potential benefits, no response was received. 

Despite the clear precedent and potential benefits, no response has been received.  

This lack of action has left homeowners trapped in a dire situation. Fiona Crichton, a Clackmannanshire homeowner and Secretary of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, shared her frustration: 

“I’m shocked and saddened to learn that Clackmannanshire Council aren’t securing grant funding that could be available to them. Fife Council have shown what’s possible — there, owners are able to pay just £7,000 with a £116 per month interest-free loan. If we could secure this kind of option, it would get us out of the nightmare we’ve been living.” 

She added: 

“I haven’t been able to get into my flat for over two years. If I want to get it fixed, I’m being hit with massive bills of over £30,000. It’s simply unaffordable for any normal person with a family to support. Getting a similar solution to Fife’s would be the break we desperately need.” 

The combination of government inaction, council rigidity, and astronomical costs continues to leave families in limbo, financially strained, and emotionally exhausted — highlighting the urgent need for practical intervention and fair financial solutions.Wilson Chowdhry: “A Systemic Failure of Compassion” 

Wilson Chowdhry, who has been at the forefront of the UK RAAC campaign, condemned both governments for their lack of urgency and empathy: 

“The Scottish Government’s stance that RAAC is a mere ‘building maintenance issue’ completely disregards the reality faced by hundreds of displaced homeowners. You cannot ‘maintain’ a crumbling material that engineers have long since deemed unsafe. This is not about neglectful owners — it’s about systemic failure.” 

He went on to criticise the government’s failure to even organise the promised meeting: 

“It is shocking that, despite months of requests, the Cabinet Secretary’s team has failed to confirm the time and place of a meeting that could determine the future of so many Scottish families. This neglect sends a painful message — that ordinary people suffering through no fault of their own are simply not a priority.” 

On the actions of Clackmannanshire Council, Chowdhry was equally forthright: 

“Families are being asked to pay £30,000 or more for roof replacements — sums that would bankrupt even the most prudent homeowner. For many, the only way out will be forced sales under unfair voluntary acquisition schemes, amounting to nothing less than financial expropriation.” 

He drew a sharp contrast with the actions of Fife Council: 

“Fife Council has shown that compassion and common sense can coexist. Their decision to cap homeowner costs at £7,000 demonstrates real civic leadership. Meanwhile, Clackmannanshire Council’s obstinate refusal to explore similar options is a betrayal of the very residents they are meant to protect.” 

And finally, he summed up the moral and political crisis facing Scotland’s RAAC victims: 

“We are watching a two-tier Scotland emerge — one where residents in Fife receive support and dignity, while those in Clackmannanshire are left destitute. The moral disparity is staggering. RAAC is not just a technical issue — it’s a humanitarian one. Behind every crumbling roof is a broken family. It’s time our leaders treated this crisis with the urgency and empathy it deserves.” 

A Growing Sense of Betrayal 

The ongoing silence from the Scottish Government, coupled with the inaction of local authorities like Clackmannanshire, is fuelling growing anger across affected communities. Homeowners are being financially and emotionally drained while politicians trade responsibility and delay decisions. 

Fife has proven that solutions are possible — if there is political will. For Tillicoultry’s homeowners, hope is running out fast. 

As Wilson Chowdhry concluded: 

“When the Cabinet Secretary finally meets with residents — if she does — she must come prepared not with sympathy, but with solutions. Empty apologies and bureaucratic platitudes will no longer suffice.”