Mum fears for baby's health due to mould

Tenant in her living room
Image caption,

Felicity Williams said problems with her flat had affected her mental health

At a glance

  • Two people living in social housing flats in Shropshire say they are battling the effects of mould

  • Felicity Williams says she fears it will affect her new baby's health

  • Ross Walmsley says within days removing it it starts to reappear

  • Social housing provide Sanctuary said remedial work was continuing

  • Published

A mother from Shropshire has said she fears for the health of her four-week-old daughter after water marks and mould started to appear in her social housing property.

Felicity Williams, 22, has moved out of her flat in Wem until her housing association deals with the problems.

"Sanctuary said the property is fit for purpose and it isn't," she said.

Housing provider Sanctuary said significant remedial work had already been undertaken and further repairs would be carried out as soon as possible.

Ms Williams said watermarks appearing on her bedroom, kitchen and bathroom ceilings coincided with cracks in the plasterboard.

Although it is not clear what has caused them, repairs have recently been undertaken to the roof.

Image caption,

Felicity has reported leaks appearing on ceilings

Ms Williams moved into the property in 2021 and said it had been an ongoing problem.

She finally moved out of the flat in August and said she would not return until her concerns had been addressed.

She is currently living at her mother's house, where she is sharing a bedroom with her daughter and the 22-year-old's two brothers, aged 11 and 15.

Image caption,

Ross Walmsley said mould was returning even within a few days of cleaning it off

Ross Walmsley and his partner Ida-Rose Keats, who are living in Sanctuary social housing in Oswestry, have also reported damp and ongoing mould problems.

"We are removing mould from around the bedroom window every few days, but it just keeps coming back," said Ross Walmsley from Eden Court.

"We're having to leave the window open to get rid of the mould but we've got no heating [because of a broken storage heater] so it's a pointless exercise.

"My partner is having breathing problems and using a steroid inhaler, despite having no history of asthma."

Image caption,

Tenant Ross Walmsley said his flat had a long list of problems

The couple pay £466 a month in rent.

They claimed their housing association "passes the buck with complaints".

A spokesperson for sanctuary, said: "We are committed to providing our customers with the support they need.

"We will remain in direct contact with them both and while significant remedial work has already been undertaken at these properties, we will ensure that any additional repairs required are completed as soon as possible."

Sanctuary has apologised for the inconvenienced caused.