Harlow Council detail plans to take on damp and mould
News / Tue 21st Feb 2023 at 10:06am
HARLOW Council has welcomed the government’s proposals to crackdown on damp and mould under new legislation in memory of Awaab Ishak from Rochdale who tragically died last December.
Under the changes social housing landlords will have to investigate and fix damp and mould in their properties within strict new time limits. The announcement was made this month by Housing Secretary Michael Gove.
Since late last year the council has been reviewing how it deals with damp and mould in its homes and has taken action to improve how it carries out investigations. The council does not currently have any cases in its homes which have been assessed as a serious and immediate risk to a person’s health and safety. The council has also been following up reported cases with new inspections.
In its forthcoming budget for 2023 to 2024 the council is also set to spend £102 million over five years on housing repairs with priority given to issues such as damp and mould works, roofing repairs and energy efficiency works. In 2023 to 2024, £25.5m is set to be spent on repairs to council homes.
Councillor Alastair Gunn, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Housing, said:
“The tragic death of Awaab Ishak from Rochdale highlights the potentially devastating effects of damp and mould. Any case of damp and mould must be treated with absolute seriousness; therefore, we welcome the announcement made last week by the government.
“As the Housing Secretary Michael Gove has made clear, it is not acceptable to pass these problems as a ‘lifestyle issue’. No one in our town should have to live in a home plagued with damp and mould – that should not be a high bar to set – and that is why we have reviewed how we deal with damp and mould and have taken action to improve how we investigate cases.
“Our proposed investment in our budget shows how serious we are about tackling these issues and the root causes of damp and mould, so we can make our tenants’ homes safe, warm and decent places in which to live.”
“If you are a council tenant and you have damp and mould in your home, please report this directly to us so we can ensure it is prioritised for inspection.”
Council tenants can report damp and mould issues directly to the council on 01279 446655 or through the council’s website – https://selfserve.harlow.gov.uk/service/Damp_assessment
J Vinton
2023-02-21 14:05:21
As a landlord I deal with issues raised by tenants but getting response from Harlow Council is painful. I reported a roof to be checked for leaks or maybe that the lift needed lagging and have had no response in 3 months. I spend my time chasing them constantly.
Andy
2023-02-21 17:21:33
Good luck on getting hts out, when the contract is up for tender the council need to get rid!!
Neil WarnerBaker
2023-02-21 19:26:33
Well done Cllr Alastair Gunn for being proactive on this matter.
Anonymous
2023-02-21 20:27:01
What a load of s*** we have been asking home group to sort at our mould for years and it’s only got worse have we have been waiting 4 weeks for some one to come out and we have a new born in the house, we even asked the Harlow council for help and they said they couldn’t do anything!! It’s a joke!!
Ann
2023-02-22 10:18:34
3 years I had to fight for mine two be sorted. Twice going through complaints procedure. To be told the complaints with held and what a shocker still nothing. Only this month have I been moved out temporary so they can sort damp and mould out.
James Leppard
2023-02-22 11:12:34
This is completely unacceptable and a result of neglect for years by the previous Labour administration. The current Conservative administration is announcing in this year’s Budget a huge medium investment in housing maintenance and repairs. We need this actioned as a priority following the successful emergency roof repair programme launched in December.
Dec Han
2023-02-24 06:06:40
To the political parties involved just stop blaming each other and step up to actually sort the damp and mould problems in homes out now, if there’s no funding available to sort this obvious problem out for people tell them!!!! Stop farting around and start sorting this mess out now.
7 Comments for Harlow Council detail plans to take on damp and mould: