Cramlington council tenant demands action over fungus-riddled home

Dean Clifford, from High Pit in Cramlington, lives with his mother and sister, both of whom have disabilities..

His mum has lived in the property since 1968, but in recent months the property has had a significant problem with damp, leading to the council calling out contractors in a bid to solve the issue.

Despite having the walls replastered and skirting boards replaced, causing significant disruption to Dean and his family, the problem has persisted, with mould spreading on the newly installed skirting boards.

Dean said that the issue had been causing health issues for himself, as well as his family and friends.

He said: “The fungus has got steadily worse, but the council don’t want to know. They’re not interested. It’s not acceptable.

“We’re fed up to the back teeth with this. My mum and sister are both disabled and struggle with mobility. They have a stairlift but they can’t come downstairs because if that fungs gets on my mum’s chest, that is it. They’re both stuck in one room.

“My mum has already had two chest infections. I had a cough and went to the doctor and showed her pictures of the mould, and she said it was a big problem.”

Northumberland County Council has now said a housing manager will contract the tenants in a bid to solve the issue.

A spokeswoman for the council said: “We are committed to providing good quality housing which is correctly maintained to ensure our tenants have a safe secure and warm home to live in.

“We have been working with the family and have recently carried out work to treat dampness and are satisfied with the work we have done. We have replastered the wall and although the tenant subsequently noticed a little bit of moisture, this was due to the plaster drying out.

“We have also discussed with the tenant redecoration post completion of the works and we are waiting for the tenant to let us know how they wish to proceed.

“To hopefully resolve this issue, a housing manager will be contacting the tenant to arrange a visit to the property to discuss any issues and hopefully agree a way forward.”