A HOMEOWNER has been left devastated over council plans to demolish her dream home just three years after she spent £75,000 to buy it.
Nicole Ctoelay, 31, fears she may become and in extreme debt after the local authority in Airdrie, , took the decision to flatten the tower block as part of a regeneration scheme.
The council shockingly offered her £20,000 less for the property, which lies on the outskirts of , in order to proceed with its development.
After rejecting this initial offer, housing bosses at North Lanarkshire Council attempted to sweeten the deal by raising their offer to £67,500.
However, this was still not enough for Nicole, as she says she would be unable to clear the balance on her mortgage with a payment that small.
The council's plans don't just affect Nicole, however, as around 970 other flats will be knocked down over the next five years as part of plans to create new housing stock.
Nicole has told of how she worked hard to be able to purchase her very first home.
She said: “As a first-time buyer, I worked incredibly hard to purchase my property.
“Owning my home was a major personal milestone for me and I’ve taken great pride in my flat after getting it in August 2022.
“I’ve invested a lot of to make it liveable and comfortable.”
However, she says she was never told that the council had long-standing plans to demolish the block, even when she purchased the property.
Now, threatened with its , Nicole says the stress has become too much, leaving her devastated.
She continued: “It has since come to light that the had long-standing plans to demolish the block, which I had no idea about.
“This was never disclosed to me when I bought my property, and at no point was I told it was at risk.
“It has been emotionally draining knowing that at some point I could lose my home, so to then know I could still be left owing thousands on a for a flat that won’t exist is just heart-breaking.
“It has taken such an emotional toll on me.”
She claims that while her neighbours received a lengthy prior warning about the demolition in June 2023, she only received an official notification by letter six months after this.
Nicole added: “I only found out about the plans from those living near me and I then had to call the council to find out exactly was going on. It took months before I received anything in writing.
“To learn that were informed while I, as a new homeowner, had been left completely in the dark was upsetting.
“After rejecting the initial offer of £55,000, a revised offer from the District Valuer came in and that was updated to £67,500.
“It is more, but still much lower than my purchase price and doesn’t take into account the improvements I’ve made since I bought the property.”
The current offer doesn’t reflect the financial reality of what the flat is worth or the emotional toll this process has taken on me
Nicole Ctoelay
Documents seen indicate that North Lanarkshire Council sees it as vital to pull down the tower block as part of its “ambitious plan to create new housing”.
A letter sent to Nicole reads: “We are developing plans to transform local communities and housing stock over the coming years, including the demolition of tower blocks and low-rise blocks of flats, which will be replaced with new housing.
“The block of flats where you own a property has been identified within the second phase of these regeneration plans.
“The housing committee approved proposals to progress a phased re-provisioning programmeover the next five years involving 974 flats.”
A number of other streets in Airdrie, as well as in the nearby town of Coatbridge, will be impacted.
Motherwell and Wishaw to the south will also see major , as part of the development.
Nicole says she feels frustrated at not being treated fairly in the process, saying she acted in good faith.
The 31-year-old added: “I've followed every procedure, submitted correspondence on time and have attempted to engage constructively with the council.
“I'm not asking for special treatment, only for fairness. I am not a voluntary seller, I entered this property believing it would be my home for many years.
“The current offer doesn’t reflect the financial reality of what the flat is worth or the emotional toll this process has taken on me.
“I am now at risk of being left in to the bank through no fault of my own.”
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council says that Nicole is currently under no obligation to sell her property to the authority.
They added: “The council has not served a Compulsory Purchase Order and is seeking to purchase the property on a voluntary basis.
“When purchasing properties, the council must demonstrate best value and is unable to pay significantly above market value.
“We have obtained an independent valuation from the District Valuer, which confirmed our initial offer to be reasonable.
“We have made a revised offer, which also includes home loss and disturbance payments.”
The spokesperson explained that Nicole could remain in her and sell in her own time, as the demolition is not due to take place for a few years.
They continued: “It has been made clear to the owner that if she does not wish to sell just now, she is under no obligation to do so as the proposed demolition of the blocks is still a number of years away.
“This low-rise block of flats is part of the council’s Phase 2 re-provisioning programme which was approved in August 2023.
“A consultation exercise carried out showed over 80 per cent of residents in favour of our proposals to regenerate and transform our local communities and town centres by providing modern, .
“We will continue to correspond with tenants and residents as our programme progresses.”
