I am, of course, acutely aware of the anxiety, worry and upset that the decision to move everyone from Balfron Tower and Carradale House has brought. I can only assure you that it was a decision taken only after we had explored every aspect of our expert advice to try to find a way to do the hugely complex works while residents continued to live in their homes. The health, safety and well-being of our residents is always the over-riding factor when making our decisions, and this decision was taken as a very last resort once all other options had been explored but dismissed. 

I am extremely sad that we have brought so much unhappiness to you and I can understand given your strong emotional and family connection to your home why it is so precious to you. It is not correct to say that tenants will not be able to return to their homes - this is a question that we still cannot answer. The reason we cannot answer it is as has been set out in our contacts with residents in the offer document from the Council 4 years ago through to our most recent fact sheet. The works to both buildings are massively expensive - possibly the most expensive project to bring homes to the decent homes standard that have ever been undertaken. This is for reasons I am sure you are aware of - the buildings need a lot of complicated work and are grade 2 listed. We cannot take the 'easy' options in terms of refurbishment - we have to make good the existing structure, fabric and aesthetic of these buildings within the constraints which the listed status. To pay for the works and to build much-needed new homes on the estate we have to sell some of the homes where tenants live. We had hoped that we could cross-subsidise the cost of the works by selling homes we had built, but as you may know, we were not given planning permission to do the works set out in the offer document. 

We have tried to be very open with residents about what is happening - that doesn't always make for an easy or positive message. The community in all our homes impresses and humbles us and we will do whatever we can to protect it as it is what we stand for - you will have read that we have asked for residents' help in doing this as it has been a recurring theme of our contacts with residents. 

We are hoping that there will be a mix of tenures available in Balfron Tower, but I am afraid that at the present moment I can only offer tenants the advice that it is possible but not probable that they will be able to come back to their homes in Balfron Tower. I am so very sorry that I cannot offer you the comfort that you want on this matter as I know that this is not what you want to read.