THURROCK
Council’s pilot scheme to remove damp and mould on the Flowers Estate in South Ockendon is already making some headway in transforming the lives of many tenants.
Since the scheme began last August, over 300 visits have been made to properties in which 218 ventilation units have been serviced and 25 new units have been installed.
Gaye Atkins who lives in Rosemary Close with her husband and family had huge problems with damp and mould since they moved into the property six years ago.
“There was damp and mould all over the bathroom and bedrooms and it was just getting worse”, Gaye said, “The council carried out an inspection of our home and installed a heat recovery unit in the living room.
“I don’t get windows covered in steam every time I cook which I use to have, all the mould has completely gone and I feel like I have my home back again. I am so pleased with the difference it has made and anyone who is having these problems should contact the council”
Cllr Val Morris-Cook, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Thurrock Council said: “Our contractors are finding that where ventilation units have been serviced or installed, the signs of damp and mould have significantly reduced which is very reassuring.
“We want to make sure that we inspect all homes in this pilot scheme. There are still quite a number of properties that we have not been able to gain access to and I strongly encourage any tenants on the Flowers Estate who have not been contacted to arrange an appointment by calling 01375 413805 or email our team at [email protected] to arrange a suitable time”
However, Ockendon councillor Lynn Carr has expressed her reservations about the success of the scheme. Cllr Carr said: “Unfortunately, Labour have jumped the gun on this one. As a local councillor, I have residents contact me and I know there are still many issues, including properties being re-let with damp problems.”
The council’s Housing committee is due to consider these issues this week and I look forward to their comments.”
The council will be rolling out a comprehensive set of measures to tackle damp and mould by increasing ventilation and circulation in its properties across the borough. This will tie in with the 5 year capital programme in which a budget of £2m will be spent as part of the new decent homes standard for Thurrock.
Forget pop0litics, what happened to the Better Homes project, in which all homes were due New Batrhrooms and Kitchens by 2009, my belief then was this was a Government backed scheme, I know that the scheme was extended twice once to 2010 then to 2012, when it was declared to have run out of money.
So whats the decent home programme, high profile on the flowers estate now but for how long, we know many homes with mould problems where TBC are using bodgitt and scarper attitudes, which have been going on for many years and almost certainly skinted previous attempts of better homes, my question is as this was a Government initiative, why was there no recourse on TBC to ensure funding was available to complete all housing stock.
I now hear that the new regime are intent on maki
I am very pleased the Council’s pilot scheme to remove damp and mould from Council rented dwellings is making some headway. However, like Cllr Carr, I have also had some feedback that there are some tenants who feel the “painting over” of the existing areas affected is not a permanent solution to the problem and more needs to be done to “kill” the spores at source to prevent a recurrence.
I would also remind the Council that we are where we are on this issue as a result of the persistence of Mrs Dierdre Lodge and her campaign to make people aware of the danger to the health and safety of tenants and their families when exposed to the spores of “toxic black mould”. It is doubtful that the Council would be doing what they are now committed to do if it were not for the intervention of Mrs Lodge, on the contrary, I believe they would still be blaming the tenants for “bad practices” such as not opening windows when cooking or bathing or airing clothing on radiators.
So. on behalf of all those tenants who will benefit from the “life transforming” improvements to their homes, I say a big thank you Dierdre.
When I lived in a council flat in Ockendon the council decided to ‘cure’ the black mold problem by sticking plaster board on the walls and wallpapering over it. Result the plasterboard became damp and the moldy.
The problem was the cement holding the bricks together was crumbling to dust (too much sand and stones and not enough cement) letting in moisture – they still haven’t re pointed the walls on the flats and as far as I know they are probably still damp and moldy.
That was in the late 90s. 15 years later they decide to do something about the mold problem.