Grantham Riverside residents left without winter heating

The council-run accommodation for elderly residents on Welham Street was built in 1980

Elderly people in council accommodation spent three winters without heating and hot water because the authority failed to act, a report has found.

The independent inquiry into Riverside flats in Grantham found the problems started in 2016 but were not fixed until this February.

Residents had to endure "considerable hardship", the report said.

South Kesteven District Council said it was "truly sorry" for the impact on residents.

More stories from East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

"Most residents are elderly and retired, some with long-term health issues, so the impact was significant," the report said.

"Residents felt let down, not cared about and lied to."

The report said the council had made "short-sighted" decisions to replace parts of the heating system instead of all the ageing pipework in the 1980s building.

It was not until January 2019, three years later, that the decision was made to replace the whole system and even then work was delayed from summer until February 2020 meaning residents had to suffer another cold winter.

Fire checks 'inadequate'

The council said all issues had now been resolved.

In a joint statement council leader Kelham Cooke and chief executive Karen Bradford said action was being taken to address the report's findings.

"The safety and wellbeing of residents is the council's priority and we are truly sorry for the impact on Riverside residents," they said.

"It is our mission to ensure issues like those experienced at Riverside are never repeated."

South Kesteven Council has also been criticised for its handling of asbestos removal from the site and, in a separate report, it was criticised for inadequate fire and other safety checks on social housing across the district.

The authority also apologised for these findings.