Diabetic man ‘neglected prisoner’ in home where he fears falling to his death out of ‘broken’ windows

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

A diabetic man has said he feels like a “neglected prisoner” in his council home while he waits years to be moved.

Richard Self, 51, who has type one diabetes, said he fears injuring himself due to the conditions in his flat on the Winstanley and York Road Estate in Battersea, owned by Wandsworth council, particularly over falling to his death out of his “broken” windows.

A total of 759 homes are set to be demolished on the estate for 2,550 new homes, including 35 per cent affordable housing, in tower blocks up to 32 storeys tall.

In 2020 the council published an expected target date for completion of the first phase as 2021, and phase three as 2024. But only part of the first phase has been completed to date.

Mr Self said he asked the council three years ago if he could be moved earlier, but was told his new home would not be built for another five years.

He said his block resembles a “prison wing”, while people who do not live there leave “human waste” in the stairwells, corridors and lifts.

Mr Self said he has faced major repair issues in the nine years he has lived in his flat and claimed he has been waiting two years for broken tiles in his bathroom to be fixed, after a hole was cut in the wall due to his hot water not working.

He said: “I just ended up taping it over with paper and Sellotape for god knows how long.”

He said his “broken” windows do not close properly or have safety locks and pivot if leant on.

He said: “The worst concern and constant terror is that I fall to my death through one of the windows as they are completely unsafe.

“Managing type 1 diabetes isn’t easy – I have severe dizziness when my levels are high or low, which happens each day.

“I’ve worked all my life until recently due to health reasons. I’ve never missed a rent payment or council tax payment in all my working years, so I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to just want to live in a property where I feel safe and proud.”

A Wandsworth council spokesman said it is contacting Mr Self again to arrange for staff to visit his flat to complete outstanding repairs, which it hopes will be carried out as soon as possible.

Selene Jordan, 44, has lived on the estate for 16 years and said she believes the council could do more to tackle drug-related issues on the estate. She said her block also has damp issues, while many of the homes are plagued by black mould.

Although Ms Jordan hopes the regeneration will improve the estate, she does not believe the plans will properly tackle homelessness.

A Wandsworth council spokesman said: “In terms of the wider regeneration scheme, the council is investing £150million to rebuild council homes on the estate providing our estate residents with improved, modern accommodation. All existing secure council tenants and resident leaseholders will have the opportunity to move into new homes as part of the development.

“More than 130 households have already moved into their new homes with others set to move into new high-quality homes before the end of this year. All these residents will continue to pay council rents calculated in the same way as is currently the case.”

A Met Police spokesperson told the LDRS the Falconbrook and St Mary’s local policing teams are “aware of the community’s concerns and working hard to address them”.

Pictured top: Richard Self, 51, on the Winstanley and York Road Estate, Battersea (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)