12:50pm Monday 28th December 2009
By Rory McKeown
A young mother from Bridgwater is pleading with her housing association to move her to a new house.
Zoë Vanstone, from Brooklands flats near Longmead Avenue, says her flat is too cold for her nine-month old son Mason because she says the heating does not work properly.
Zoë, who is five months pregnant, says the flat also needs repairs to doors and walls.
She said: “I need to move closer to my family in a house in the New Town area.
“The flat is freezing cold and I am having to let my son sleep in with me. I am very worried about having to do that.
“I should not have to live like this.”
Zoe says she has asked Homes in Sedgemoor to carry out repairs but this has not happened.
However, Homes in Sedgemoor says it sent out a repairman to Zoë's flat in June, but she was not there.
A spokesman said: “A calling card was left advising Miss Vanstone arranged a new appointment but no further contact was made.
“The comfort and safety of our customers is of the utmost importance to us, and we would like to encourage Miss Vanstone to contact us as soon as possible so that we can work to address any problems she might have.”
Sedgemoor District Council operates a gold, silver and bronze banding system for determining the priority of council housing applicants; Zoe is in the silver band.
A council spokesman said there was a very high demand for council housing, and added: “If Zoë is that specific on requesting a house in the New Town area there are probably not any houses available at the moment.”
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