An Edinburgh dad has called on Edinburgh Council for assurance on asbestos after he says the dangerous substance was discovered in a neighbouring flat.
Conner Walker, 21, who lives in Peffermill Court with his partner and seven-month-old son, said that he discovered that workers in hazmat style suits had been coming and going from a flat on his landing after receiving notifications from his Ring doorbell at the end of April 2023.
The caring father read Edinburgh Live’s exclusive that looked at asbestos in the adjacent Craigmillar Court high rise.
READ MORE: Edinburgh dad feels 'disgusted' in high rise flat after grim discovery in home
Edinburgh mum-of-two Paulina Niedzialek, who lives in a council flat in Craigmillar Court, claimed that a flat on the same level as her had asbestos removed at the beginning of April and that her own home was allegedly covered in damp and mould.
This led to Conner examining his own flat as he said his heart sank when he too found mould and damp - something he spoke to Edinburgh Live about last week.
He now fears that his flat could also have asbestos within it and he is calling on the council to conduct safety checks for all of those staying in both high rises.
“I got several notifications on my ring doorbell towards the end of April and I noticed that there were workers in blue suits removing several bags”, he said.
“When I went out to see what was going on I found that there was a sign on the door of a flat on my landing which said that it was an asbestos exclusion zone.
“I’m going to phone my housing officer as I have a seven-month-old son and I’m skittish about there being asbestos in the flat that could impact my son’s health or that it could potentially kill my family.
“The council should be ashamed of themselves for putting people in flats that are covered not only with mould but which could also have asbestos in them.
“I’m wanting my house tested and I think everyone in both blocks should be entitled to regular testing to make sure that our homes are safe to live in.”
Conner says that he only recently secured the flat and that he fears the condition of their home could put his family at risk.
He continued: “I’m worried that the whole landing could have asbestos.
“Every house in this block should have safety checks as there are a lot of kids and newborns that live here.
“We need to make sure that there is no mould or asbestos that can really harm people’s health, it is not fair to be living in a s**t hole.”
Councillor Jane Meagher, Edinburgh’s housing, homelessness and fair work convener, said: “We plan to invest in Peffermill Court as part of our plans to upgrade lots of older homes and make them much more energy efficient.
“This will take some time to roll out. In advance of this, we’re carrying out some precautionary work in a home which is currently empty.
“This low risk work is being done safely by licensed professionals at no risk to anyone else in the building and the results will inform our renovations.
“We’d like to apologise for any noise or inconvenience this work has caused residents, and officers will be in touch with this tenant to offer our reassurances and help with any other repair needs they might have.
“We’re one of the first local authorities in Scotland to pilot a ‘whole house retrofit’ approach to council homes and tenants can expect lower fuel bills and warmer homes as a result.”
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