A report going before councillors this week states that refurbishing Oxcars Court and Inchmickery Court in Muirhouse no longer represents “value for money.” A final decision will be taken by the housing, homelessness and fair work committee in December.

The two identical 10-storey blocks, which each contain 75 flats, were originally earmarked for a major refit to tackle damp, improve insulation, and repair electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems. But estimated costs have jumped from £51.4 million to £86m, due to the complexity of the buildings’ design.

According to Edinburgh Live, a council officer explained that the difficulties with the two blocks were “unique” and not reflective of the wider multi-storey estate. Residents have already been informed by letter that demolition is being considered.

Currently, most tenants in Inchmickery Court have been decanted, with just one still in place and 24 flats empty. Around 68 tenants remain in Oxcars Court, though officers are considering moving them early next year to cut maintenance costs.

The report outlines several possible courses of action:

• A scaled-back retrofit costing £57m.
• Essential repairs only, costing £13.6m.
• Demolition and replacement with two new six-storey blocks, creating 150 flats for £48m.

However, council officers warned that the project has faced serious procurement challenges. For some packages of work, including steel framing, only a single contractor submitted a bid—or none at all—resulting in what was described as a “very uncompetitive return.”

Plans to refurbish the blocks were first drawn up in August 2022, with tenants formally consulted in September 2023. Decanting from Inchmickery Court began in January 2025, while design work was substantially completed by February. But by March it became clear that the original budget could not be met, prompting a reassessment of options.

Officers stressed that tenants had “bought in” to the decant-and-renovate proposal, and said information sessions will now be arranged to update residents in both blocks.