FAMILIES forced to evacuate after a fire broke out in a block of Inverkeithing flats are still unable to go home – almost three weeks after the blaze.

Six households were forced out by the flames and smoke on the morning of 10th April at 5-15 Fraser Avenue. Nobody was hurt but the damage to the stairwells, landing and hallway meant that the families had to be rehoused.

Although some chose to stay with friends or relatives, three were put into temporary accommodation and Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay councillor Alice McGarry branded the unsettled situation “disappointing” for those involved.

“The main thing is for them to get settled in accommodation and it’s a bit unfortunate that’s not happened,” she said.

“It’s a real shame for the families, they are still traumatised by the experience and this situation doesn’t help. A bed and breakfast isn’t the best solution when they’re a family with kids all packed into the one room. They’re all a bit anxious and it’s a real shame for the poor folk.

“The current situation as I understand it is that they’re making some scatter flats available for some of the people. Some of them don’t want to go back to the street and are looking for permanent accommodation. Some are in bed and breakfasts and some are with relatives and I think one is already in a scatter flat.” To make the situation even more uncertain, the group of flats could be demolished in the future anyway due to plans for the regeneration of Fraser Avenue (see above), which could see some families have to jump to several different temporary homes over a short time.

“That’s another complication,” said Cllr McGarry. “The ones who want to stay in Fraser Avenue and wait for their new house will have to go into a scatter flat while they wait for accommodation and then move again, so they may face about three moves in total.

“It’s a bit disappointing because these people need some kind of settled accommodation.” However Councillor Judy Hamilton, executive spokesperson for housing and building services, replied, "I am disappointed to read that Cllr McGarry is of the opinion that there are 'families with kids all packed into the one room' in bed and breakfast accommodation. I have spoken with housing officers and they confirm that this is simply not the case. It is a pity that Cllr McGarry did not check the facts before talking to the Press.

"Ever since the very unfortunate fire in the block of flats, on April 10th, the properties became uninhabitable, and the council has acted as a responsible landlord.

"The council took immediate action to remove our tenants whilst damage was assessed. A full inspection and assessment of the property revealed extensive damage, and it was not possible to return tenants to them.

"Six households were affected by the fire. Some of the families have chosen to stay with friends or family until they can access a more permanent solution, and we are working with the other families.

"Officers are in regular, almost daily, contact with the affected tenants and are seeking permanent solutions wherever possible. We are aware that some of these might be decanted before a permanent solution is found. However, through regular dialogue around work and school commitments, we are working through these issues.

"No family with kids is packed into one room in bed and breakfast, as alleged. This is a misleading statement and undermines the work of housing officers who are working daily with these families to establish the very best solution for them following a most unfortunate set of circumstances.

"It is unfortunate that Cllr McGarry and the SNP housing convener, Cllr Brian Goodall, did not feel compelled to act sooner for the residents of Inverkeithing.

"Fraser Avenue flats were of an older design and unable to be given the advantage of modern energy-efficiency measures, making them uninviting to tenants.

"That’s why Labour have brought forward, by almost five years, this exciting regeneration programme for this area”.