Council 'waiting for me to die before fixing floor'

Sharon Lawson said she was advised not to use her washing machine or have people in her flat in case her floor collapses

A sheltered housing resident has said she is afraid her local council is waiting for her to die before carrying out repairs to her "dangerous" property.

Sharon Lawson told BBC London she was advised not to use her washing machine or have people in her flat in Bounds Green, north London, in case her floor collapses.

Ms Lawson, aged 72, said: "I want a decent quality of life for the years I've got, and somewhere else - a nice new home."

Haringey Council apologised for the "ongoing distress and inconvenience" but said Ms Lawson previously "refused three reasonable offers of alternative accommodation" to enable repairs to be carried out at her flat.

Ms Lawson said she "got up in the night and my foot went through the floor" of her bedroom

Ms Lawson lives in a block of eight sheltered housing properties and she said a year ago the floor in her first-floor flat began to crumble.

In her bedroom, there is a visible hole where her foot has gone through and the floor is coming up around it.

"I got up in the night and my foot went through the floor," she explained.

Since then, Ms Lawson said she had been trying to get Haringey Council to undertake repairs to the floor. She added four surveyors for the council had come out over the past year and each confirmed the disrepair.

"If I need an ambulance or police they won't be able to come in here because of their weight," Ms Lawson explained

At the flat, the floor appears to be made of hardwood and visibly bounces as you walk up into it from the crumbling staircase.

Ms Lawson has been told not to use her washing machine in case vibrations from it weaken the floor further, and she cannot have family or other visitors round in case they go through the damp floor.

"If I need an ambulance or police they won't be able to come in here because of their weight," she continued.

The balcony is wooden and on stilts but it too has a hole in it, and the council has told Ms Lawson not to use it.

Her stairs also carry a warning message to not overload them, but Ms Lawson said no-one knows how much weight is too much for them to bear.

"'You're waiting for me to die.' That's my wording to Haringey Council," she said.

Haringey Council said Ms Lawson "has now agreed to move to an alternative property", so repairs can begin

Sarah Williams, Haringey Council deputy leader and cabinet member for housing and planning, said: “We apologise for the ongoing distress and inconvenience this is causing Ms Lawson. This should have been resolved earlier, but the work has been held up for reasons beyond our control.

“This is a complex and challenging case requiring extensive structural works which can only be undertaken safely if Ms Lawson temporarily moves from the property.

"However, Ms Lawson has refused three reasonable offers of alternative accommodation, including a property in the same scheme, which has inevitably led to delays.

“This has been compounded by this being a legal disrepair claim, meaning the number of inspections increased and the need to work with Ms Lawson’s lawyers to agree the repairs.

“Ms Lawson has now agreed to move to an alternative property, so we can start to fix the problems as soon as possible.”