Disabled veterans face eviction over charity money troubles

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Chris Clements

BBC Scotland social affairs correspondent

BBC Keith Fisher, who has cerebral palsy, sits at a garden table with his mum Kim. Keith wears a navy and white striped t-shirt and his mum is in a bright yellow shirt, with a pearl necklace and black circular-rimmed glasses. — Keith Fisher and his carer mom Kim were advised to search out different lodging in spite of believing they’d a house for lifestyles during the charity

An property for disabled veterans is going through demolition after its charity landlord printed plans to promote the land to builders.

Linburn property in West Lothian has been house to tenants of Sight Scotland Veterans – previously Scottish War Blinded – for many years.

However, the charity has now advised citizens to search out new houses inside of a 12 months – with 27 of them going through lifestyles at the housing listing.

It comes after Sight Scotland Veterans confronted losses of greater than £18m during the last 4 years.

The charity stated it used to be operating with citizens and nobody used to be going through fast eviction.

‘Every guy for themselves’

Bill Mackie, 71, says he’s going to have to sign up for the native council housing ready listing, which has 1,600 other folks already

Bill Mackie, 71, with short white hair and a white bears, wears dark glasses for his eye condition and a military polo shirt. He wears a lanyard saying "please be patient, visually impaired". The houses of the estate lie behind him on two sides. — Bill Mackie, 71, says he’s going to have to sign up for the native council housing ready listing, which has 1,600 other folks already

Linburn Park sits at the former Linburn property, which additionally properties an army museum, a veterans centre and a neighborhood corridor.

It incorporates 23 houses – 10 of that have lain empty lately.

The choice impacts a complete of 13 residential homes at the website online, together with seven veteran tenants with imaginative and prescient impairment and 6 non-public tenants.

It additionally affects 3 non-housing tenants – an army museum, a farmer and a lawn mission.

Bill Mackie, 71, has lived at the property since 2015. He is in part sighted and has mobility problems.

He confirmed BBC Scotland News a map of the proposed building website online in Wilkieston.

Bill stated: “This lot is all going to go and when it does, it’s because they’re selling the land to a developer.

“We’ve heard 40 properties are going up, 50 properties, 400…

“I asked at a meeting if [the charity] is going to give us help to find new houses. They said, ‘Oh aye, we’ll give you a letter that says you’re out in 84 days.’ That’s it.”

He added: “It’s every man for themselves. We’ll have to go on the housing waiting list.”

There are recently 10,820 on West Lothian’s listing, together with 1,260 are living homelessness circumstances.

Some of the homes in Linburn Estate – a couple of of which are actually mendacity empty.

Some of the houses in Linburn Estate - a few of which are now lying empty. They are painted cream on the bottom half, brown on the first floor. Each has a brick garden wall and the grass in front is well-kept. — Some of the homes in Linburn Estate – a couple of of which are actually mendacity empty.

Like the opposite citizens, Mr Mackie used to be first made acutely aware of the plans in a gathering on 3 June on the village neighborhood corridor.

Residents then gained a letter from Sight Scotland Veterans.

It learn: “Unfortunately, it is no longer financially viable for our charity to run the estate as it is. Many of the houses are vacant, some are in disrepair and the estate is costing us more than we are earning from it.

“The central a part of the Linburn Estate – with the exception of the Centre and Centenary Hall – used to be licensed as a possible housing building website online through West Lothian Council quite a lot of years in the past.

“Given our current financial situation, we now intend to sell the surrounding land to a housing developer and inform the council of our intentions as part of the Local Development Plan.”

The letter added that no deal had but been made with a developer.

Worried citizens were given in contact with Your Voice, Your BBC News.

Veteran Craig Kirkland, right here along with his spouse Caroline, used to be groundsman at the property and owns a parcel of land within sight the place he raises sheepdogs

Veteran Craig Kirkland, a man with short grey hair, wears a while zipper top and stands beside his wife Caroline, a blonde woman in a cream denim jacket. — Veteran Craig Kirkland, right here along with his spouse Caroline, used to be groundsman at the property and owns a parcel of land within sight the place he raises sheepdogs

Two doorways down from Mr Mackie, veteran Craig Kirkland has lived in Linburn Park along with his spouse Caroline for 18 years.

The 53-year-old is a former infantryman with King’s Own Scottish Borderers who’s blind in a single eye and suffers from post-traumatic rigidity dysfunction.

After transferring there, he used to be the property’s groundsman and owns a parcel of land within sight and raises sheepdogs.

The Kirklands stated they imagine houses within the property were left empty on objective.

Craig persevered: “It means we will need to find somewhere else. We have 12 months’ notice, give or take a few months’ leeway.

“They stated if we had a personal let, they would assist with the deposit. How can I am going into a personal let?”

The couple sold their Lanarkshire home in the 2000s and signed a tenancy agreement with the charity.

They believed they would stay in the community for the rest of their lives.

Caroline, 52, added: “At my age, I’m no longer going to have a loan. We’d bought our space to be right here.

“The tension here has been very harsh in the last few weeks.”

‘We will probably be homeless’

An symbol citizens have been proven of the place making plans permission were looked for building

Sight Scotland Veterans A bird's eye view of the area where Linburn Estate sits, showing the area proposed for new housing and the existing houses, community centre and hall. — An symbol citizens have been proven of the place making plans permission were looked for building

Not the entire tenants are veterans. The housing used to be opened to personal tenants because of a loss of call for from veterans with sight loss.

Keith Fisher, 39, has cerebral palsy, studying difficulties and listening to issues.

He used to be presented a tenancy at Linburn Park 15 years in the past.

His oldsters Kim and Paul Forbes bought their very own house and moved to the world to be Keith’s full-time carers.

Mrs Forbes stated: “We came out here thinking it was for a lifetime, and this house would be Keith’s forever.

“We idea we have been going to right here for the remainder of our days. This information is devastating for all people.”

She persevered: “To get the 3 people in a house in combination could be slightly tough.

“Keith would go into supported accommodation, which would mean he would leave the family home, and we would apply to get accommodation for over-65s.

“Other than that, there’s no method we will be able to cross to anyone else. We will probably be homeless, which could be very unhappy.”

The Linburn estate is home to people renting in 13 properties

A row of one-storey houses, cream on the bottom floor, brown on the top, with cars parked in the road outside. — The Linburn estate is home to people renting in 13 properties

Local MSP Angela Constance – who is also the Scottish government’s justice secretary – met with residents to hear their concerns last Friday.

She told the BBC that she contacted Sight Scotland Veterans who “defined on the most sensible stage the monetary problems that they’re wrestling with”.

“It is my process to constitute my constituents and the veterans which might be citizens right here in Linburn,” she stated.

“It has been deeply distressing. They have felt as though the rug has been pulled from beneath their toes.”

Constance said the site’s history dated back to the end of the First World War.

She added: “When other folks got here to are living on this neighborhood, they have been advised they’d a space for lifestyles. That has been taken clear of them.”

Sight Scotland Veterans – named Scottish War Blinded until 2017 – has the same board as sister charity Sight Scotland, previously known as Royal Blind.

In 1946, Royal Blind paid £14,000 for the estate. It was transferred to Sight Scotland Veterans eight years ago.

Over the decades, Linburn estate developed into a campus offering workshops, tuition and therapy for blind veterans. It also provided housing.

However, in recent years, both charities have faced financial strain – with the veterans’ charity posting budget shortfalls between £4m and £6m each year since 2021.

‘Veterans reside longer’

Chief executive Craig Spalding said the number of supported veterans had increased from 1,500 to 5,500 in recent years.

He said: “Veterans reside longer, which is in fact welcome, nevertheless it has resulted in additional age-related sight loss and a better want for toughen.”

Mr Spalding said income was limited and depended largely on fundraising and investment returns.

He added that between 2020/21 and 2024/25 it supported services from its reserves, which have been reduced from £61.8m to £46.5m.

Mr Spalding added: “Running the Linburn Estate by myself has generated a lack of virtually £1m over this era.

“To secure our services beyond 2031, we now need to generate additional income through the sale of land, investment in income-generating assets, and increased fundraising efforts.”

Mr Spalding advised the BBC the charity used to be operating carefully with each and every tenant.

He stated: “We wish to make it clear that no one faces immediate eviction.

“We have began open and clear discussions to stipulate our purpose to promote the land for building.

“Our priority is to engage constructively with all those affected and to work together to find solutions that are fair, respectful, and take everyone’s circumstances into account.”

A West Lothian Council spokesperson stated: “The council has not received a planning application or granted consent for the redevelopment of the veteran’s village at Wilkieston.

“However, we’re getting ready a brand new Local Development Plan for West Lothian.

“Through the ‘call for ideas’ part of this process we have been made aware by Sight Scotland that they wish to dispose of this site for market and affordable homes.”

The spokesperson added the native authority used to be reviewing the entire proposals and would submit a proposed plan “in due course”.