HOME owners in Deans South will object to a compulsory purchase order after taking legal advice on the latest twist in a bitter war with the council.
A public inquiry could also be on the cards after West Lothian Council voted last week to seek a C
PO to remove the remaining 51 householders in the rundown Livingston housing estate in a bid to speed up the process of demolishing the area and redeveloping it.
Residents have been at loggerheads with the council for the last five years as they are unhappy with the level of compensation on offer from the local authority for their homes as they believe it is well under a fair market price.
Sean Milligan, chairman of the Deans South Homeowners Association (DSHA), said: "After speaking to our legal representatives home owners in Deans South will appeal the CPO.
"This process could lead to a public inquiry.
"This is something we would welcome as all we have wanted for the past five years is to present our case to someone independent of the council, as they are unwilling to listen to our reasonable demands.
"We have evidence which we believe proves the council knew the homes
in Deans South were defective when they were selling them."
A spokesman for the council said: "Anyone who is against the proposals to the compulsory purchase of the remaining houses on the Deans South estate is entitled to formally object to the plans.
"If objections are lodged, it could lead to a public inquiry. Objections to the compulsory purchase on purely compensation grounds should not lead to a public inquiry."
