Mum describes 'putrefying smell' in home

A social housing tenant says she has spent "thousands of pounds" on her own investigations and repairs due to drainage issues in the house she rents.

Jessica McCarnum, 44, of Old Sarum, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, said: “The smell is putrefying, it’s awful.”

She said the property, in Walter Way, had previously flooded with sewage despite her efforts to contain it.

The home is managed by housing association Aster which said it had been working with Ms McCarnum since she raised her concerns.

Ms McCarnum was allocated the home through the council’s Homes4Wiltshire letting scheme after it was deemed well suited to her son who has special needs.

She moved into the new house in 2012 and said it did not take long before issues began to arise, with tiles falling off the walls of the property.

The first major flood led to “sewage water raining down” through the kitchen ceiling, she said.

“I couldn’t get rid of the smell - it's embarrassing," she said.

“You can be standing in the shower and, all of a sudden, you’re getting a bath filling up and debris coming over your feet.”

Aster said its staff had inspected the property and "addressed some of the minor issues identified."

The housing association said it was sorry and that it would continue to support Ms McCarnum.

A spokesperson said: “The home remains safe to live in."

Aster said the family would be moved to a new build temporarily in the New Year while further work was carried out on the property.

Ms McCarnum spoke of the emotional distress she had endured and encouraged other households to speak out.

She blamed the issues on the construction of the building, carried out by Persimmon Homes.

Persimmon confirmed it visited the 12-year-old property last year as a “goodwill gesture to assess original construction”.

A spokesperson said: “Any maintenance works so far have been handled by the housing provider.

“While the matter sits with the tenant and housing provider, Persimmon remains available to assist if requested by Aster.”

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