Survey OK from Salmond

Some of the campaigners who held a recent sit-in at GHA headquarters

SNP leader, Alex Salmond, has assured Glasgow Home Owners’ Association that after the election, he will call for an independent survey of work done on their properties which they claim is a ‘health time-bomb’
The 200-strong Association has photographic records of faults in re-cladding and re-roofing work done by their factor – Glasgow Housing Association’s (GHA’s) appointed contractors.
Before the Scottish Parliament was dissolved, the then Minister for Housing and Communities, Alex Neil, met with the Association’s elected members. He later said he would not have an independent survey done.
‘We are very pleased Alex Salmond has agreed to have this done after the election, through the housing regulator or the Building Research Establishment in East Kilbride,’ said a jubilant Sean Clerkin, Association chairman.
After the knock-back from Minister Alex Neil last month, some of the Association members held a sit-in at the GHA headquarters in Trongate to show the extent of the shoddy work they consider has been done. Said leader Sean at the time: ‘We are sending a strong message to all the political parties during this election run-up, that there is a time bomb of ill-health and deteroriating properties because of the sub-standard work carried out.’ Added Vice Chair, Anne Booth: ‘We elect people to look after us. They are not doing this. When there is a problem they don’t help.’ They claim sub standard work has been done on thousands of home across Glasgow.
The campaigning group was part of a small lobby which confronted Scottish Labour Party leader Iain Gray in Central Station on the issue of public service cuts. ‘He ran away,’ said Sean referring to the well-screened flight of the leader out of the station and into a sandwich shop. The campaigners also confronted Annabel Goldie, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader who discussed some of the issues with them, on the spot. ‘We would have done the same with the SNP, but Alex Salmond spent an hour listening to our concerns on the shoddy overcladding, the closure of the Accord Centre in Dalmarnock and other issues,’ commented Sean. The campaigners plan to continue their public protests with a lobby outside STV on Tuesday 3 May before the final televised  leaders’ debate.
A spokesman for GHA commented: ‘To date, we have overclad more than 36,000 homes across the city, making them warmer, drier and more energy-efficient. There have been issues with the work done on only a very small number of these houses. An independent survey carried out by the Building Research Establishment concluded that dampness found in a very small number of homes was caused by heating and ventilation issues and NOT as a result of the overcladding work.’