Damp and mould rife in Burnley social housing, council told

The meeting was told black mould, like that found in toddler Awaab Ishak's home in Rochdale (above), was rife in Burnley properties

A council has heard it faces a huge task to improve housing conditions.

Labour councillor John Harbour told a meeting of Burnley Council there was "a massive problem" in the town "and we need to sort it out".

The Liberal Democrats' Gordon Birtwistle said damp and mould were "rife" and the council had not received government funding for the work.

The government said there was "absolutely no excuse for families to live in these conditions".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said Mr Harbour told a full council meeting the government had asked the authority for details of what action it was taking following the conclusion of the inquest into the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in nearby Rochdale.

The coroner concluded Awaab's death was caused by exposure to mould in social housing.

'Not good enough'

The meeting heard Mr Birtwistle and independent councillor Charlie Briggs had recently visited a number of social housing properties in Burnley.

Mr Briggs said a visit to homes with the housing licensing team was "eye-watering".

"On some of the building we had a look at, the troughing is dropping down, [which is] one of the things that leads to damp," he said.

Mr Birtwistle said damp and black mould were "rife and the rat infestation is increasing".

"We have to do something," he said.

He said government provided the "funds that we need to do this work" and the council "haven't got the money".

"If they don't provide the money, all I can tell the residents of this town is 'you will live in hell like this for ever'," he added.

"This is not good enough. It has to change.

Labour councillor Sue Graham, who oversees the council's finances, said the end of a government-backed home improvement programme was to blame for the current problems.

"We were on with [the programme] and the Tory government pulled the rug out from under our feet," she said.

"It was taken away from us and that is why we have the housing conditions that councillor Birtwistle has spoken about."

A government representative said the secretary of state for housing had been clear that "providers must urgently act and has written to social housing providers and local authority chief executives in England".

"There is absolutely no excuse for families to live in these conditions," they said.

"We are strengthening the powers of the Regulator of Social Housing to tackle unsafe homes and make sure landlords do not ignore tenants, including issuing unlimited fines to failing landlords and making emergency repairs with landlords footing the bill."