Edinburgh pensioner says she has to sell up or pay more than £200,000 in renovation costs

An Edinburgh pensioner says she either has to sell her flat back to the council or pay more than £200,000 in renovation costs.

Maria Duncan, 72, has lived in Linksview House in Leith for more than two decades and has owned the property for most of that time.

But she’s been given an ultimatum as a major refurbishment of the building is set to get under way.

Edinburgh City Council have given her three options – pay for the work herself, sell and move out, or sell and become a tenant.

“One (option) is I find £207,000 to pay my share of this retrofit, which the council has deemed and decided is necessary.

“The next thing is they have offered me £95,000 if I sell and move away, which I’m not doing, because I’ve got family responsibilities, or £75,000 to stay and pay rent – £75,000 if I invest that does not give me the money for the rent.

“If I have to remove £450 monthly from my income, I’m destitute.”

Maria, who worked as a carer up until the age of 70, has been left worrying about what to do.

“I’m awake at night, I wake up at half past two in the morning and that’s what comes right into my head and I can’t get back to sleep,” said Maria.

“It’s awful, it’s like you’re being pushed into a situation you don’t want to be in. This is what they are doing to me and I feel very angry about it.”

Lezley Marion Cameron, the housing, homelessness and fair work convener at Edinburgh City Council, said: “I have enormous sympathy for Ms Duncan receiving the news that she has about the scale and costs of the works required to bring it up to current standards.

“Council officers have met, and shall continue to meet, with Ms Duncan to discuss these works and to support Ms Duncan whilst she considers her options.

“Meantime, we continue to be committed to providing safe, warm, and well-maintained homes, and our investment of £69m in Links View House and Cables Wynd are important parts of our city-wide housing improvement programme.”