Council tenant's fears of returning to mouldy Norwich flat

Donna Spears, 49, had lived in a council flat riddled with mould in the Marlpit estate for just over two years before she and her teenage daughter, who has asthma, were moved to another home.

"It's made my daughter so unwell," said Donna, who is registered as disabled and unable to work.

Donna Spears has called the situation horrendous (Image: Donna Spears)

"The stress of the situation has been horrendous."

After battling since September 2021, Donna was awarded £1,200 after the Housing Ombudsman Service found Norwich City Council guilty of maladministration concerning the damp and mould that she had lived with, as well as the mishandling of her complaints.

She and her daughter were moved to a temporary property in Tuckswood just before Christmas 2023, where they have lived while work was undertaken in their Knowland Grove flat.

Donna had to pay to replace her furniture after it was covered with mould (Image: Donna Spears)

The bathroom in Donna's home has been a hotspot for the mould problems (Image: Donna Spears)

A survey conducted by the city council of the property in August 2023 determined that the flooring in the flat needed to be replaced with a waterproof insulating chipboard, surfaces and carpets should be cleaned to remove the mould, and the walls would need to be stripped and replaced with special plasterboard.

However, Donna has spoken to the company undertaking the building work and has been told that they will only be replacing the flooring.

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"I'm terrified that they're going to make us move back into a mouldy flat and I'll spend years going through this whole process again," she said.

Green city councillor Liam Calvert (Image: Cllr Liam Calvert)

Liam Calvert, Green city councillor for the Wensum ward, said: “Unfortunately this is just one example of many when it comes to Norwich City Council failing their tenants.

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“Despite one in five homes awaiting repairs from the council, the Labour council last year left £23m of the housing budget unspent - money that should be being used to make homes across the city comfortable and safe.”

Even Donna's clothing was damaged by the mould (Image: Donna Spears)

A city council spokesman said: "Work is nearing completion, and we hope to have them back in their home next week.

"We regret that there have been previous delays in completing this work, but we are confident that the work undertaken will resolve any previous issues."