Fiddler on the roof

The City of Edinburgh Council wants to make some residents of the New Town pay for repairs to a pavement on the grounds that it forms part of the roof of their basement flats:

The council decided that because the pathway goes over small yards or vaults in front of the residents’ flats, then the pavement was effectively part of their roofs.

In a sane world streets would be owned privately and ownership responsibilities laid down clearly. In the meantime I suggest that the residents invoice the Council for backdated rent for all pedestrians estimated to have walked over the "roofs" without invitation.