Tenants of council houses in Lumby’s Terrace, Stamford hit out at inaction over repairs by South Kesteven District Council
Tenants of Grade II-listed council homes living in ‘squalor’ have been given warm-packs believed to be used by street-sleepers as they continue to wait on repairs.
Residents of Lumby's Terrace in Stamford have been left heartbroken over the state of their South Kesteven District Council-owned properties.
A group of residents first attended a Stamford Town Council meeting in October last year calling for help to convince the district council to fix their homes.
This prompted a number of visits by housing officers, but residents say ‘nothing has actually been done’.
Suzette Waldron, on behalf of all 13 residents in the street, previously described living in ‘squalor’ and told how the properties are ‘riddled in damp’ with ‘crumbling walls’ and leaks.
She said: “In the winter it is like living in a fridge.
“It is horrible and cold.
“When you get into bed at night it’s damp.”
With just a few months before the temperature drops again, the residents are fearing for the future.
“It feels like we will be in the same position we were in last year,” said Suzette.
“We just want somewhere warm and safe.”
A second resident Sheena Ogle described how her heart is breaking at the state of her home.
Warm packs were delivered earlier this year by South Kesteven District Council to a number of residents in Lumby’s Terrace, along with foodbank vouchers.
The packs included a hat, scarf, pair of gloves, blanket, heat retaining foil blanket, insoles for shoes, a pay-as-you-go phone top up card, a carbon monoxide detector and a hot water bottle.
Stamford Town Councillor Jonathan Waples, who has been supporting the residents, said: “I genuinely believed those packs were only issued to street-sleepers.
“Here, it seems, they are given to council tenants.”
Suzette added: “We were all a little bit disgusted.
“We weren’t asking for a warm-pack. We were asking them to fix the problems.”
The residents have made passionate pleas for help at five separate town council meetings.
After hearing the most recent update, mayor of Stamford Kelham Cooke branded it ‘a disgrace’.
Coun Cooke, former leader at South Kesteven District Council before he lost his seat at last year’s election, added: “In this day and age nobody should be living in those conditions.”
Coun Waples called on the council to show compassion and respect to the vulnerable residents.
“The situation that is being faced by these residents is through neglect, complacency and inflated bureaucracy,” he said.
“These people have had to endure such unnecessary harsh living conditions and mental anguish.”
A number of residents have been offered alternative homes including Sheena and Suzette, but they refuse to move to a property without a garden for their pets.
The 13 Grade II-listed homes in Lumby’s Terrace were the first council-owned properties in South Kesteven.
A surveyor working on behalf of South Kesteven District Council visited the properties on November 2 and 3 last year, and identified the repairs which needed to take place.
After the inspection, a spokesperson for South Kesteven District Council said that a programme of work would be scheduled and residents would be informed of its progress.
“We are fully aware of the clear need for repairs and maintenance of these homes and will make every endeavour to have these completed as quickly as we can,” they added.
As the properties in Lumby’s Terrace are listed for protection and in a conservation area, listed building consent and/or planning permission is required for certain types of work.
The only application which has been made was in December for a replacement window at 15 Lumby’s Terrace.
Four tenants who have requested a house transfer have been relocated and the council is looking for three more properties for other residents who also want to move.
Sheena and Suzette have been offered a transfer but they refuse to move to a property without a garden for their pets.
Director of housing at South Kesteven District Council, Alison Hall-Wright, said the focus is on the properties in the terrace which are still occupied by tenants and officers are determining what permissions are needed.
She apologised ‘to anyone who has been inconvenienced by the timescales involved’.
Ms Hall-Wright added: “We take this situation very seriously and South Kesteven District Council officers have worked hard to proactively support and give practical help to tenants, especially around individual needs, including exploring alternative accommodation or extra support.
“Tenant welfare is a clear priority and we are progressing with this project, keeping tenants fully informed of progress and timelines throughout.”
