New council housing in Bathgate will give a fresh start and new hope to a family which has faced a year of trauma and heartbreak.
William Green is currently in Poland with his six year old daughter Ella who is undergoing pioneering surgery for the Arthrogryposis she suffers from in all her limbs. It is a rare condition which causes her joints to curve in an abnormal way.
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They’ll return later this month to a new bungalow home in the recently completed Standhill development.
Ella’s mum Catherine, who suffered from PTSD and depression, took her own life in March 2021.
Mr Green told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “ It took 11 months to find a suitable house after her mum died and I had to go part time in my job as an electrician to bring up Ella.
Mr Green, his daughter Shannon, 17, and Ella had struggled, living in a two bed maisonette in Bathgate.
He’d had to carry his daughter from room to room because her wheelchair wouldn’t fit.
He said: “The last 11 months have been very difficult with my own home unable to accommodate Ella's wheelchair and with it being a maisonette in Limefield Crescent, and suitable equipment for both stairs and the bathroom.
“I tried writing and calling to the council constantly,”
He paid tribute to local councillor Charles Kennedy. “ He worked tirelessly for me.”
Mr Green met Councillor Kennedy at the Standhill site when he was given a preview of the new bungalow.
“It gave me a heartwarming feeling that I will be able to provide the best possible future for my kids now, and that’s all we as a family ever wanted.”
Mr Green hopes to get the keys at the end of the month when the tenancies are handed over.
Councillor Kennedy questioned housing manager Graeme McKee on the inflexibility of the letting procedures, and the lack of suitable housing for disabled tenants at a meeting of the town’s local area committee .
He also thanked council staff for their work in helping with Ella’s case.
A council spokesman had said the family had been given a range of support in the wake of the tragic events. Ella’s condition meant that the family would be given priority in the search for suitable accommodation.
Councillor Kennedy said at the meeting: “I feel we have areas where there is a lack of flexibility in our system to take care of people who have special needs and disability.
“We seem to hit a brick wall when it comes to special needs because we don't have enough housing .”
He added that the council and individual councillors had received “ a doing” from the national press over the problems encountered by the Green family.
“It got moved up the scale a bit and Mr Green has asked me to pass on his thanks to Emma Ramsey, his housing officer and other members of the team and Marjorie Mackie, interim head of housing and the Chief Executive. It’s a very positive ending but it took a long road to get here."
Chairing the meeting, Councillor Harry Cartmill , who had also been involved in the case, agreed: “It’s good news”.
After the meeting Councillor Kennedy told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It is unfortunate that our housing supply is so small that it is always difficult to satisfy demand but also that our guidelines, in the interest of fairness, are so restricted and inflexible that when a case of special needs comes along we appear to neither have the ability to vary our letting policy or our building contracts you make housing that suits needs available.
“This was a case of exceptional need and happily our senior officers and local housing officers were able to address that and after many months find a property that was available and suitable.
“Delighted to help in some small way to assist in reaching this successful conclusion and hope that Ella and William are happy in their new home and that the facilities are beneficial to Ella’s development .”
