Latest news with #damp
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Council plans improvements for 'neglected' homes on Clifton estate
Nottingham City Council has promised improvements to a housing estate where tenants say their homes have been "neglected" for January, residents on the Eddleston Drive estate in Clifton told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) about rotting window frames, peeling render, damp and poor Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) said it had found serious quality and management failings with the council's properties, and the authority was awarded the second-lowest standards rating possible as a result.A council spokesperson said: "Improvement works are planned for the Eddleston Drive estate, including external repairs to address the condition of the walls." Residents told the LDRS on Monday that some issues had not been Taylor said mould had now been removed from her bedroom, but damp was still a problem in her kitchen and bathroom due to peeling render, rotting woodwork, and poor tap fittings."They have fixed the damp in my bedroom," she said."But they have put some taps on my bathroom sink that are the wrong size, so it is flooding and making more damp."They promised I would get plastic window frames, but that still hasn't been done, so I've got mould in my kitchen."It would not be half as bad if we hadn't been neglected." Ward councillor Kevin Clarke, leader of the opposition Nottingham Independents and Independent Group, said: "I've been on about this for years now. In my opinion, it is long overdue."In all honesty I think they need knocking down and rebuilding. The design of these properties, the prefab, is full of trouble."They are not weatherproof and they are going to be an everlasting problem."The council now manages its housing services itself, after it brought them back under its control in April 2023 from arms-length management organisation Nottingham City council spokesman added: "We understand the concerns raised by residents on the Eddleston Drive estate and remain committed to improving the condition and energy efficiency of our council homes across the city."
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Our homes make us ill' say Manchester social housing tenants
A woman who took part in a protest over the state of social housing has said her two children are "terrified" to be in their own home due to the condition of the 46, who lives on the Langley estate in Middleton, was among the groups demonstrating outside a housing conference at the Manchester Central exhibition said her children had suffered breathing problems because of damp at her home and called on her landlord Riverside Housing Association to take action. A spokesman for the provider said it had invested £3m on improving homes in the estate, but knew "there is much more to be done". Natalie, who did not want to give her surname, said she had to be rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung at one point and a specialist told her this was due to the condition of the told BBC Radio Manchester it was "absolutely disgusting" that her family still lived in the property, which has been infested with rats since March, despite their said her children refused to sleep in their own beds and were "terrified to live in their own home", adding that her daughter has autism and "cries every night"."Why should my little girl be absolutely terrified? A child should feel safe in their own home," she said. The Riverside spokesman said £3m had been spent on new kitchens, boilers, window and roof replacements on the estate, alongside £1.3m on insulation and ventilation in more than 200 homes.A dedicated damp and mould team had also been set up to "prioritise cases and ensure we act quickly and decisively," they 35, who also lives on the estate, said her daughter had been in hospital with multiple skin lesions caused by what a dermatologist said was the condition of their said they had been in temporary accommodation for nearly a year and "my daughter is now healthy again, miraculously".Becky said they did not want to return to their property and the stress of the situation had caused her to come out of work."We are still on lifelong medication because of that house," she said. Middleton Tenants Union, part of the Greater Manchester Tenants Union (GMTU), said it had been challenging Riverside for two years over 20 similar cases involving children exposed to damp and said Riverside's senior management team was refusing to meet with the union to discuss the cases and were instead directing tenants to the Housing said it remains "open to having transparent and constructive dialogue with GMTU and have met with them a number of times over the last two years".Kirby Hoyle, from the union, said the conditions were not fair on the said she was supporting tenants whose properties had rat infestations, damp, mould, asbestos, "general wear and tear", leaks and "roofs falling in".Riverside said customers had been invited to meet "one on one, or with GMTU as a tenant advocate."We know we don't always get things right and are sorry if there are occasions when we have let customers down, we always ensure we put things right and learn from any failures", it added. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Damp forced us to live in bedroom for four years'
A woman has said she and her husband were forced to live upstairs in their home in Leeds for four years after the council failed to solve an issue with damp. Melanie Town said the damp, from a flood under her council-owned home, caused appliances to break down, destroyed furniture and led to further health concerns for her husband, who was recovering from a serious illness. Mrs Town said: "It destroys you, knowing the council knew the condition we were living in and that we lost everything downstairs, and did nothing to address it." A council spokesperson apologised for not fully resolving the issue, but said multiple repairs had been carried out and the house had remained "habitable". Mrs Town said the repairs to the property in Thorpe on the Hill, where she had lived for 12 years before moving to East Yorkshire at the end of last year, had included replastering the living room five times after it kept becoming damp. "We lived in the bedroom for four years. The mental health [impact] from doing that in your late 40s and 50s – it's no good at all," Mrs Town said. "I'm not upset, I'm angry. They wouldn't live like that, so why did they expect me to?" Mrs Town said it had become a "running joke" with builders, plasterers and plumbers when they repeatedly visited the property to fix the same issues. "The council was sending plasterer after plasterer to rip off the walls and re-do them, without getting to the root cause of the damp and the mould," she said. She explained that the damp had caused the oven and fridge-freezer to break down and work surfaces to come away from the wall in the kitchen. Meanwhile, the carpet had begun to smell and it eventually had to be removed, leaving bare floorboards, she said. Mrs Town said she and her husband had to take their clothes to the laundrette and they had lived on takeaways and air fryer food - even having Christmas dinner in their bedroom. "It's enough to take a toll on anybody," she said. Mrs Town said that despite being in the top priority band for council housing and bidding for a new property every week, trying to downsize from their three-bedroom home, they were never able to secure one. She said they had taken things into their own hands in December and had moved to Hornsea in East Yorkshire, which she said was "not ideal" and had been an "upheaval". "I was suffering with chest infection after chest infection, and I just said I couldn't do it anymore. Anchor Homes offered us this one, so I took it," Mrs Town said. "We have lovely neighbours, but it is quiet, and I feel out of place at times. "Without a car here, you are cut off. Both our families [are in Leeds], and my friends are there." Mrs Town said the move had also meant the couple had to pay for further travel and accommodation when Mr Town had hospital appointments in Sheffield which he still needed to attend following a bleed on the brain eight years ago. She said Leeds City Council had been aware of Mr Town's health issues, which included a small stroke, loss of hearing and chest infections since the brain haemorrhage. "Any council should not get away with making people live like that. I am really angry with them. I want them to acknowledge what they've done," she said. Responding, a spokesperson for Leeds City Council said repairs were carried out on several occasions in an attempt to resolve the issue at Mr and Mrs Town's home. "Unfortunately, the root cause was not addressed, and the issue returned when there was heavy rainfall," they said. "The property remained habitable during the tenancy, although Leeds City Council apologise for not being able to resolve the matter fully." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North Leeds City Council
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Damp forced us to live in bedroom for four years'
A woman has said she and her husband were forced to live upstairs in their home in Leeds for four years after the council failed to solve an issue with damp. Melanie Town said the damp, from a flood under her council-owned home, caused appliances to break down, destroyed furniture and led to further health concerns for her husband, who was recovering from a serious illness. Mrs Town said: "It destroys you, knowing the council knew the condition we were living in and that we lost everything downstairs, and did nothing to address it." A council spokesperson apologised for not fully resolving the issue, but said multiple repairs had been carried out and the house had remained "habitable". Mrs Town said the repairs to the property in Thorpe on the Hill, where she had lived for 12 years before moving to East Yorkshire at the end of last year, had included replastering the living room five times after it kept becoming damp. "We lived in the bedroom for four years. The mental health [impact] from doing that in your late 40s and 50s – it's no good at all," Mrs Town said. "I'm not upset, I'm angry. They wouldn't live like that, so why did they expect me to?" Mrs Town said it had become a "running joke" with builders, plasterers and plumbers when they repeatedly visited the property to fix the same issues. "The council was sending plasterer after plasterer to rip off the walls and re-do them, without getting to the root cause of the damp and the mould," she said. She explained that the damp had caused the oven and fridge-freezer to break down and work surfaces to come away from the wall in the kitchen. Meanwhile, the carpet had begun to smell and it eventually had to be removed, leaving bare floorboards, she said. Mrs Town said she and her husband had to take their clothes to the laundrette and they had lived on takeaways and air fryer food - even having Christmas dinner in their bedroom. "It's enough to take a toll on anybody," she said. Mrs Town said that despite being in the top priority band for council housing and bidding for a new property every week, trying to downsize from their three-bedroom home, they were never able to secure one. She said they had taken things into their own hands in December and had moved to Hornsea in East Yorkshire, which she said was "not ideal" and had been an "upheaval". "I was suffering with chest infection after chest infection, and I just said I couldn't do it anymore. Anchor Homes offered us this one, so I took it," Mrs Town said. "We have lovely neighbours, but it is quiet, and I feel out of place at times. "Without a car here, you are cut off. Both our families [are in Leeds], and my friends are there." Mrs Town said the move had also meant the couple had to pay for further travel and accommodation when Mr Town had hospital appointments in Sheffield which he still needed to attend following a bleed on the brain eight years ago. She said Leeds City Council had been aware of Mr Town's health issues, which included a small stroke, loss of hearing and chest infections since the brain haemorrhage. "Any council should not get away with making people live like that. I am really angry with them. I want them to acknowledge what they've done," she said. Responding, a spokesperson for Leeds City Council said repairs were carried out on several occasions in an attempt to resolve the issue at Mr and Mrs Town's home. "Unfortunately, the root cause was not addressed, and the issue returned when there was heavy rainfall," they said. "The property remained habitable during the tenancy, although Leeds City Council apologise for not being able to resolve the matter fully." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North Leeds City Council
BBC News
10-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Damp forced us to live in bedroom for four years'
A woman has said she and her husband were forced to live upstairs in their home in Leeds for four years after the council failed to solve an issue with Town said the damp, from a flood under her council-owned home, caused appliances to break down, destroyed furniture and led to further health concerns for her husband, who was recovering from a serious Town said: "It destroys you, knowing the council knew the condition we were living in and that we lost everything downstairs, and did nothing to address it."A council spokesperson apologised for not fully resolving the issue, but said multiple repairs had been carried out and the house had remained "habitable". Mrs Town said the repairs to the property in Thorpe on the Hill, where she had lived for 12 years before moving to East Yorkshire at the end of last year, had included replastering the living room five times after it kept becoming damp."We lived in the bedroom for four years. The mental health [impact] from doing that in your late 40s and 50s – it's no good at all," Mrs Town said."I'm not upset, I'm angry. They wouldn't live like that, so why did they expect me to?" Mrs Town said it had become a "running joke" with builders, plasterers and plumbers when they repeatedly visited the property to fix the same issues."The council was sending plasterer after plasterer to rip off the walls and re-do them, without getting to the root cause of the damp and the mould," she explained that the damp had caused the oven and fridge-freezer to break down and work surfaces to come away from the wall in the the carpet had begun to smell and it eventually had to be removed, leaving bare floorboards, she Town said she and her husband had to take their clothes to the laundrette and they had lived on takeaways and air fryer food - even having Christmas dinner in their bedroom."It's enough to take a toll on anybody," she said. Mrs Town said that despite being in the top priority band for council housing and bidding for a new property every week, trying to downsize from their three-bedroom home, they were never able to secure said they had taken things into their own hands in December and had moved to Hornsea in East Yorkshire, which she said was "not ideal" and had been an "upheaval"."I was suffering with chest infection after chest infection, and I just said I couldn't do it anymore. Anchor Homes offered us this one, so I took it," Mrs Town said."We have lovely neighbours, but it is quiet, and I feel out of place at times."Without a car here, you are cut off. Both our families [are in Leeds], and my friends are there." 'Really angry' Mrs Town said the move had also meant the couple had to pay for further travel and accommodation when Mr Town had hospital appointments in Sheffield which he still needed to attend following a bleed on the brain eight years said Leeds City Council had been aware of Mr Town's health issues, which included a small stroke, loss of hearing and chest infections since the brain haemorrhage."Any council should not get away with making people live like that. I am really angry with them. I want them to acknowledge what they've done," she a spokesperson for Leeds City Council said repairs were carried out on several occasions in an attempt to resolve the issue at Mr and Mrs Town's home."Unfortunately, the root cause was not addressed, and the issue returned when there was heavy rainfall," they said."The property remained habitable during the tenancy, although Leeds City Council apologise for not being able to resolve the matter fully." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
