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Pensioner Denis Neville: ‘I was so fed up’ |
‘Builders locked me out – twice!’
‘Nightmare on Chadwell Street’ claim as complaints pile up about home improvements
BUILDERS have been accused of locking an 80-year-old pensioner out of his home on two occasions as residents complain that improvements to their homes have turned into a “nightmare on Chadwell Street”.
The pensioner has claimed that his self-igniting oven has been replaced by an older one that needs matches.
Other residents’ complaints include claims that scaffolding has been left up for 10 weeks, with little work being done, that gardens were damaged by cement mixers and that building materials were dumped in private bins. Residents have also claimed that builders, without asking permission, relaxed on garden furniture during lunch breaks.
Neighbours say they caused a nuisance by wolf-whistling at passing women. One resident said: “I thought that had gone out with the ark.”
Leaseholders and tenants in six properties in Chadwell Street, Angel, have drawn up a list of complaints against a contractor working for Partners for Islington, the agency responsible for maintenance of council-owned property.
Eighty-year-old tenant Denis Neville said he came home to discover his key would not unlock the door to his basement flat, which was being painted and re-plastered. He was forced to wait several hours in a neighbour’s flat for a locksmith to arrive and change the lock.
“When it happens once I suppose you can understand,” Mr Neville said. “But then a few nights later it happened again. My key wouldn’t work because, presumably, the lock was damaged. I had to hang about while my neighbours got the locksmith round again. I was so fed up.”
In the case of the replaced gas cooker Mr Neville is demanding his previous one back. “My cooker was just five years old,” he said. “It worked brilliantly by self-ignition. With this one you’re back to using matches.”
Furious leaseholders are being charged up to £10,000 each for the improvements.
Drama teacher Pete Freeman said he had made several complaints about bins being filled with building materials. He claimed that, although builders had large, industrial-size skips, they often dumped materials in corridors or in residents’ dustbins.
“The dustbin men won’t take it,” he said. “I’ve had to remove the materials and personally take it all up to the tip on Sunday.”
He added that builders had used his garden to mix cement. “We were told there was a health and safety risk about them doing it on the front pavement outside,” he said. “They didn’t bother to ask if I minded them mixing cement in my garden. They just did it.
“They ended up trashing an ornamental garden wood chip area and damaging decking with their boots.”
Mr Freeman said that Homes for Islington had promised to keep residents informed about the work. He added: “We were told we would be consulted once the scaffolding went up. There would be a surveyor’s report. I’ve not heard anything.
“Any consultation that has happened has been me complaining about all the things that have gone wrong. No one has knocked on my door and asked if everything is all right.”
A spokesman for building firm United House said it was not aware Mr Neville had had to call out a locksmith on two occasions.
“We heard that a new lock was fitted and he was given keys but we haven’t been handed a bill for it yet,” he said.
Mr Neville’s oven was replaced because the old one was in such poor condition, said the spokesman.
He added: “We thought we were helping out with a replacement cooker. We also got him a fridge and a new sofa bed. We were not aware he was using matches to light the new oven.”
The spokesman said that scaffolding has been up for six weeks and not 10.
“We appreciate it does drive up costs but we’re having to wait for health and safety clearance,” he added. External work is now expected to begin next week.
The spokesman said the company had apologised to Mr Freeman after builders dumped waste in his bin. “We are also sorry that cement dust went onto Mr Freeman’s wood chip area and the company will be providing six bags of replacement wood chip,” he added. |
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Your comments:
Sounds all too familiar. We have had a nightmare - and yesterday received our bill from Partners for nearly £10,000 - Something has to be done about them as this surely can't continue. They are robbing people left right and centre. I have done nothing but writtent complaint after complaint and as with the article - that is the ONLY contact we had throught the whole fiasco of major works. Shoddy work, bad attitude, no communication or accountability whatsoverer and I could go on. We will fight them to the very end!!!
Any info, or help would be gratefully received.
Regards
Charlie |
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