'Unacceptable' repairs delay at council house near Bridgwater

Sammy-Joe Lee, her partner Jonathan and their two daughters rent their council house in Woolavington, near Bridgwater, and have had numerous problems involving black mould growth and damp since moving in.

The couple claims the coronavirus and the ongoing lorry driver shortage has delayed repairs to such an extent that they no longer feel happy living in the property.

Homes in Sedgemoor said it had provided temporary accommodation for the family while work was carried out on their property and would continue to support them as needed.

The Lees moved into Mill Walk in 2020, and soon ran into issues with damp throughout the property.

Ms Lee said: “In our bedroom, there is water running down the will – it’s thick with damp, and mould it has ruined my laminated flooring that I paid £1,300 for when we moved in.

“They [Homes in Sedgemoor] looked at the roof and said there is nothing wrong with it – obviously something is wrong for this to happen.

“The bathroom has been leaking since July and has leaked all through to the front room wall as the bathroom is downstairs. The wood under the bath is rotten and it constantly stinks.”

Homes in Sedgemoor visited the property in 2020 and applied an anti-mould treatment to the walls – but there are still large patches of black mould throughout the house.

Following this, the Lees’ boiler broke – leaving them relying on electric heaters until a new one could be installed.

Mrs Lee said: “They said they did not know when they could fix it due to the covid situation and the shortage of lorry drivers. So we are left paying £10 to £15 a day on electric as they have given us tiny electric heaters.

“Me and my partner are both disabled with a one-year-old and a three-year-old. My partner Johnathan is on a breathing machine as he stops breathing in his sleep five or six times a night; he also suffers panic attacks and anxiety, and this is really not helping."

Mrs Lee further claimed that Homes in Sedgemoor staff had been “really rude and unhelpful” during a recent visit to the property.

She added: “I do not want to live here with my family any more. The  way we have been treated is unacceptable – nobody should have to put up with this.”

Homes in Sedgemoor, which manages around 4,200 homes on behalf of Sedgemoor District Council, said the family had been moved into a hotel to allow the necessary work on their boiler to be carried out.

A spokesman said: “We can confirm we are working with a family in Woolavington who reported concerns of mould in their home. As a landlord, we take concerns of potential mould seriously and investigate reports of this nature with a matter of urgency.

“We have listened to the customers’ concerns and visited their home several times to carry out investigative works.

“We are aware there was high humidity within the property and have installed a humidistat fan to help reduce this. We are continuing to monitor this and have organised a whole-property survey by a specialised contractor.

“In November, the customer reported their boiler had stopped working. Our contractors identified the fault that day and ordered the required part, however, due to nation-wide shortages, there was a delay in delivery.

“In the interim, we supplied temporary heaters and subsidised their energy costs, as we do with all customers in this situation. However, due to their personal circumstances, we also took the decision to pay for the family to move into temporary accommodation.

“We are pleased to confirm the boiler has now been fixed. We are disappointed to hear the customers are unhappy with the service they have received, and we will continue to work with them to ensure they are satisfied with the works as they are progressed.”