Residents living in damp-ridden ‘ticking time bomb’ fear for their safety

Residents say they are living on a damp-ridden “ticking time bomb” estate where mould is so bad it drips from their ceilings.

Flats in Iveagh House in Loughborough Road, Brixton, were branded ‘semi-luxury’ when they were built in the early 1950s.

Today, one of the block’s residents, Ashley Lloyd, has to stick bin bags to the ceiling of his studio flat to catch a mouldy black glue-like substance that has ruined his £2,000 bed, sofa and oven.

Mr Lloyd is one of many residents of the block managed by housing association The Guinness Partnership to have furniture ruined by severe damp.

Some residents have been moved to other flats in the building while repairs take place. But many say the properties they have been moved into have the same underlying problems with damp.

Many residents also currently have no heating while the block’s system is replaced. The works are part of the building’s  £12 million refurbishment that tenants say has been plagued with problems from the outset.

Mr Lloyd, who is currently studying for a master’s degree, said: “I’ve got video evidence of the water 4ins high sitting on the roof. And it’s like a sponge.

“We are waiting like it’s a ticking time bomb.”

Guinness has offered Mr Lloyd a flat in another borough, but he says he can’t move into it because all his furniture is ruined by damp and needs replacing.

While he has suffered from damp in his property since 2013, other residents trace the start of their problems to the installation of new windows by Guinness last year.

Resident Diana Moore-Gibson, 60, said: “They changed all the windows and doors and all of a sudden there’s damp everywhere. I am coughing a lot more since the damp [appeared].”

Another resident, Alakija Bature, 61, said: “I have been living here for almost 10 years and I’ve never had mould in the flat. Since last year when they changed the windows, I’ve had it all on the wall by the windows.”

A spokeswoman for the housing association said:  “Over recent years we have seen an increase in the number of repairs reported at Iveagh House. It is for this reason that we are on-site with a £12million programme to improve Iveagh House.

“We apologise profusely for the conditions experienced by some residents, and for any inconvenience while we carry out works.

“As part of this work we have decommissioned an unreliable heating system, which was at risk of failing over the winter months. We are in the process of installing the new system, which is now operating in the communal areas and some flats.

“We have offered all residents temporary heaters and homes are being connected to the local heat network giving residents access to a reliable and efficient source of warmth.”