Families saved from mass eviction after properties bought by Fife Council

Dozens of private tenants in two Fife villages will no longer lose their homes after the council agreed to buy the properties.

Some of the tenants of 26 homes in Coaltown of Wemyss and Denbeath had already been served with eviction notices by Torah Capital Ltd.

The company, along with TC CAPS3 Ltd, had bought the properties from Wemyss Estates in September.

The new purchase, which will be funded by Fife Council and the Scottish government, will allow tenants to remain in their homes, with the properties becoming part of the council's social housing stock.

The Scottish government is providing £2m, with the remainder - which has not been disclosed - coming from the council.

The council said bringing the properties into its ownership would provide long-term housing security for residents and help avoid the higher costs associated with emergency housing provision.

It said that, as well as preventing homelessness, the move would also help maintain established communities, ensuring residents could stay in the areas where they lived and worked.

Public meetings held by local MSP David Torrance and MP Richard Baker in January were attended by more than 80 people.

Some families have been living in their homes for 40 years. A number of them were given a deadline of 22 March to leave, while others were told to move out by July.

At the time, Torrance said he was "appalled" by the residents' treatment as Wemyss Estates had given him assurances that they would be able to remain as tenants.

Following a meeting of Fife Council's cabinet committee on Thursday, housing spokesperson councillor Judy Hamilton said: "My priority is to protect people and prevent them from becoming homeless.

"I am pleased that officers have worked through all the challenges and this proposal allows us to step in at the right time, keep families in their homes and provide them with long-term stability.

"It also strengthens our housing stock and ensures we're making the best use of available resources to support our communities."

Council leader David Ross said: "This has been a very difficult situation all round but especially for the tenants involved who have faced great uncertainty and the prospect of losing their homes.

"I am pleased that it has been agreed today that the council should step in to buy these properties and that we have been able to fulfil our promise to protect the tenants."

He welcomed the Scottish government's contribution but said there would still be a significant cost to the council which would need to bring the homes up to standard.

"Nevertheless, this is the right thing to do," he added. "This will end the uncertainty for tenants and help keep this community together."

The council will now continue engagement with Torah Capital and TC CAPS3 to progress and finalise negotiations on the proposed purchase.

Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "I am pleased that the Scottish government has been able to ensure tenants do not lose their homes, despite the fact this will have been a very distressing time for them.

"It was pivotal that we acted swiftly and decisively to ensure that tenants remain protected and secure with a roof over their head and a place they can quite rightly continue to call their home, as they have done for years.

"By stepping in, that is precisely what we have achieved."

Torah Capital has previously failed to respond to requests for comment from BBC Scotland News.