Heating woes for retired tenants at Helgate Court in Norwich

Neighbours in Helgate Court, a retirement complex in Westwick Street, have been either freezing cold or boiling hot recently due to issues with the building's heating system.

Housing association Orbit has apologised for the "complicated" system, which can leave the building without heating for days.

Pauline Taylor, 83, right, and other residents, who are having problems with their heating. From left, Margaret Killett, 91; Linda Chilver, 89; Rose freeman, 76; and Julian Phillips, 77 (Image: Newsquest)

Pauline Taylor is just one of the people living in Helgate Court who is fed up with the situation.

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The 83-year-old said: "A new heating system was put in about two years ago and it's rubbish - it doesn't work properly.

Helgate Court, in Westwick Street (Image: Newsquest)

"There's 31 flats here and not one person is getting heat when they need it. An engineer came out but that hasn't sorted it.

"Sometimes it'll come on for a bit and be you can't change it so you're way too hot, but then it won't come on for two or three days.

"I'm fed up having to either sit with a blanket on me or have it feel like a sauna all the time.

One of the issues which shows on the heating system, showing the system saying a window is open when it wasn't (Image: Denise Bradley, Newsquest)

"I've tried my best to speak to Orbit but they don't seem to understand that people in the building are suffering.

"They need to pull their finger out and sort it."

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A spokesman for Orbit said: "We're sorry about the issues with heating that some residents at Helgate Court are experiencing.

Pauline Taylor, 83, said the heating system is rubbish (Image: Newsquest)

"We've been testing the heating system to detect any technical issues. We also recognise that programming the heating correctly is quite complicated, so we're organising for our contractor to visit the building and programme the heating for residents."

Pauline believes the issue would have been resolved sooner if they knew how bad the conditions were, adding: "I'm sure they wouldn't like an older relative living in these conditions.

"It happened last winter too and no one did anything - it's been an absolute nightmare."

Orbit Housing has apologised for the issues with the heating (Image: Newsquest)
Residents living in Helgate Court say the issues needed to be sorted out as soon as possible (Image: Newsquest)