Tenant’s despair over 23 years of damp and mould on the Andover Estate
Edward Davies with damaged electricals at his Hanmer Walk flat on the Andover Estate. He has a severe mould and damp problem. Picture: Dieter Perry - Credit: Archant
A council tenant is at his wits’ end after enduring damp and mould problems in his Andover Estate home for 23 years.
Edward Davies at his Hanmer Walk flat on the Andover Estate. He has a severe mould and damp problem. Picture: Dieter Perry - Credit: Archant
Edward Davies is forced to throw out his furniture and clothes regularly because they get covered in mould and says the problems contributed to his mother’s death in 2013.
But his pleas to be re-homed have fallen on deaf ears and instead the town hall has, literally, glossed over the problem with a lick of paint.
“Between 1994 and 2003 they would come every year and use anti-mould paint,” he said. “Four sets of settees, all my carpet throughout the property, all my heavy curtains – gone. They gave me £70 to replace all my curtains. Even in a Selby’s sale I couldn’t get ’em for that.
“I feel like a tramp. I hate living like this. It’s affecting my health. It’s coming through the ceiling and it’s in all my clothing. Six months ago they redecorated the whole place and it’s already returned.
Edward Davies with a damaged Darth Vader backpack at his Hanmer Walk flat on the Andover Estate. He has a severe mould and damp problem. Picture: Dieter Perry - Credit: Archant
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“They’ve now put me down for major works but are saying they can’t do it until they’ve stopped the water coming in.”
Edward isn’t alone in his despair. A report published by councillors on the health and care scrutiny committee last year highlighted the problems on the Andover and the Girdlestone Estate in Archway, which is 95 per cent damp-ridden. They called for tenants whose damp, mouldy homes are making them ill to be moved with no questions asked. They also told the council to stop blaming people for the problems.
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“They’ve always blamed us,” said Edward. “I’m a long standing sufferer, I’ve lost too much.”
The report is still being considered by the cabinet.
A town hall spokesman said the council took damp problems very seriously and had removed the mould from Edward’s flat and used specialist paint to prevent it returning, which has worked for the last three weeks.
“We will also install a system that can help reduce condensation, and monitor it to see if it helps,” he said. “We are committed to working with our tenant and will take the necessary steps to sort out this problem.”
