A Rushcliffe woman says her "pride and joy" bungalow is now covered in mould because her housing company has not repaired water damage caused by leaking pipes. Barbara Bishop, 65, has lived in her bungalow for ten years and says she has "loved" being there.
Her home is situated in the small village of Barton in Fabis and is managed by Metropolitan Trent Valley Housing (MTVH). Ms Bishop says problems started just before Christmas, when she says the freezing weather led to a leak in her loft's water pipes and tank which eventually flooded out her entire bungalow.
Barbara Bishop says she has since had to throw out personal belongings and that some of her neighbours had to come into her home wearing wellies to clear up the mess, with the water reportedly four inches deep at one stage. It is understood the leak may have been caused by a loose joint, rather than a frozen pipe.
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MTVH sent a plumber and electrician out immediately after the flooding to fix the leak and the company has also supplied a dehumidifier. But Barbara Bishop says: "Nobody has done anything since Christmas and not one workman has stepped foot in here.
"They've ignored my whole situation in that I'm sitting here in a wet bungalow and my clothes and my bed are getting damper and damper. This bungalow used to be my pride and joy but now it's all damp.
"The hallway wallpaper is hanging off and mould is spilling out everywhere like there is no tomorrow. I was actually wiping the mould off the walls but one of my friends said I should leave it because MVTH need to see how bad it is."
An MTVH spokesperson said: "We understand how difficult this period has been for Ms Bishop. She rightly expects her home to be fully repaired, and we are working to ensure this happens.
"We responded quickly to fix the leak, and we have agreed to undertake the necessary works and redecoration to repair the water damage. As discussed with Ms Bishop, her home will need to be dried out before these works can begin. Unfortunately, this is taking longer than expected."
Ms Bishop, who is on Universal Credit, says the mental health issues that she has long suffered with have been made worse by her current situation. Given the weeks that have passed without the water damage being fixed, Mrs Bishop has now agreed to swap properties with the father of her neighbour.
Ms Bishop says he wants to be near his daughter, despite knowing about the condition of the bungalow. But despite this swap being agreed, MTVH has reportedly told Barbara the moving process could take around eight weeks.
Ms Bishop says she is currently "scared" when going to bed at night in case another flood occurs. She was allegedly told by the plumber who first came to fix the leak that another flood may happen again given the pipes were not "lagged" properly.
Lagging is a term often used to describe pipe insulation. Ms Bishop also claims the dehumidifier she has been provided with does not work properly and the environmental health team at Rushcliffe Borough Council are now looking into the situation.
A Rushcliffe Borough Council spokesperson said: "The resident has been referred to her landlord Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing. We are in liaison with the landlord regarding their action plan and remedial action and have asked them to keep us informed of their work to resolve the issues the property is experiencing."
The MTVH spokesperson added: "We have spoken with Ms Bishop about the importance of using the dehumidifier we provided immediately after the leak was repaired. In addition, two weeks ago we offered to provide and subsidise the use of four temporary heaters to further speed up the drying out process.
"Once Ms Bishop's home is dry, we will carry out the necessary wall treatment, plastering, redecorating and other works. During this period, we will also check all pipe insulation in the loft area.
"We visited Ms Bishop [on February 13] to discuss these plans, and to see if she requires any additional support. We will continue to work with Ms. Bishop to ensure that her home is returned to the comfortable condition she expects."
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