Tenants evacuated when part of an Aberdeen building collapsed during stormy weather will not be able to return home for an unknown period.
Residents were forced out of their flats after part of their city centre building, above the Tartan Pig restaurant on Hollybank Place, came loose in storms last week and debris was sent crashing through the roof of an optician’s stock room next door.
An investigation conducted by an Aberdeen City Council engineer and a buildings standards manager, at the behest of police on the scene, has since resulted in a dangerous buildings notice being given to the owners.
It means that repairs will have to be made before the properties are deemed safe for people to live in.
The occupants of the two top floor flats, who were ushered out amid the drama on Thursday, won’t be able to return to their properties until remedial works are completed.
The Caledonian Optical premises will also remain closed for the same period.
Council chiefs have confirmed that the responsibility of completing a thorough survey of the area, and of arranging the necessary repairs, will fall to the owners following their investigation.
An Aberdeen City Council spokesman said: “The owners have been served with a dangerous building notice requiring an engineer/surveyor to carry out an inspection with report and then complete any work identified within the report to make the building safe in the longer term.
“The owners are liaising with Building Standards and proactively taking action to remedy the situation.”
It is understood the building belongs to several private owners.
Residents had taken refuge in a nearby nail salon after being escorted from their homes during the incident, but they were all able to find alternative accommodation that day.
Masonry crumbled from the right-side of the building as it was blasted by Storm Christoph, which left other parts of the north-east flooded and caused travel disruption across the UK.
Last week, Vicky Pasterczyk, manager of The Tartan Pig, said: “I initially heard a massive bang but was working on orders for customers so didn’t think to investigate, it wasn’t until one of our upstairs neighbours came in that I knew what was happening.”
