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Box Parish Council raises social housing 'health risk'

Handout Black mould on a wallHandout
Tenants living in social housing in Rudloe, Wiltshire, have continuing mould problems

The quality of social housing in one corner of Wiltshire is leaving some residents "living in potentially unsafe conditions", a council has warned.

Tenants in Rudloe, near Corsham, say their homes have continuing mould problems and a long backlog of repairs.

The leader of Box Parish Council, which covers Rudloe, is "worried about the health risks" tenants are facing.

The housing association responsible said it was "committed to dealing with the issues" but health-risk was "low".

The county has a recognised problem with the shortage of affordable rents, and currently has 4,000 people on the housing waiting list.

But a group of Rudloe tenants say they are plagued by maintenance problems as well as the damp in their homes.

Jo Collier. She has long black hair and a fringe. She is wearing large glasses with thick brown frames. She is looking directly at the camera and smiling slightly.
Jo Collier has been told not to hang washing up indoors

"Because of my chronic illness I'm only able to work part time, I can't afford private rent - so unfortunately I'm stuck here," said Jo Collier, 47.

She lives on the Rudloe estate which, like a lot of homes there, is managed by housing association GreenSquareAccord.

"I have broken windows, draughty doors, rotten floorboards," said Ms Collier, adding mould is getting worse because of broken extractor fans.

She has an auto immune disease that affects her joints and skin, made worse by the cold and damp, which she worries the upcoming winter weather is "going to seriously affect my health".

A woman pictured in a kid's bedroom
Tonya Cutler's son is autistic and she doesn't want him to have more problems caused by asthma

Around the corner, damp and mould are also causing concern for mum Tonya Cutler, who has multiple sclerosis (MS).

The smell of damp is apparent in the bedroom of her five-year-old autistic son Theo.

Ms Cutler also has concerns about the asbestos hidden beneath her stairs and in her porch, which are both in poor condition.

"I am just concerned about Theo's health, my own health too, it's only going to get worse," she said.

Gina Baker with two of her three children. She has her arms around the youngest, who is sat in the middle. They all have dark hair and dark eyes. They are sat close together on the sofa with a grey blanket behind them. They are all smiling and looking at the camera.
Gina Baker with two of her three children, including youngest Ezmae who has had health issues with her breathing

Upstairs, mum of three Gina Baker, says similar issues are also a big problem for her.

She says her 19-month-old daughter Ezmae has just had her third case of bronchitis and is now on an asthma inhaler, with her doctor saying living conditions are likely to be a factor.

"The easiest fix is to get out for the kids' health, if I could afford to up and leave I would," said Ms Baker.

The parish council is writing to GreenSquareAccord to request a meeting with senior managers over the state of its social housing, and to ask why some stock in better condition may be sold off rather than being offered to affected tenants.

"It's shocking for everybody involved that people in this society and this affluent corner of Wiltshire, that anyone should have to live in those sorts of conditions," said Tim Walton, its chairman.

Block of flats in Rudloe. A white GreenSquare van is parked in front, next to a red car.
Many flats on the estate are managed by GreenSquareAccord

GreenSquareAccord said their surveyors assessed the risk from the damp and mould was "low", but acknowledged some of the homes had been "earmarked for demolition" until a redevelopment scheme fell through earlier this year.

A spokesperson said: "We are committed to dealing with issues relating to damp and mould at Rudloe.

"After making the difficult decision that our regeneration of Rudloe was no longer viable, we instructed a team of surveyors to complete a review of the condition of all the homes, which had previously been earmarked for demolition.

"We have identified additional improvement works based on the surveyor's report.

"Some of our homes in Rudloe have been empty for some time. We are currently reviewing our options for these with support from our surveyor."

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