Lambeth has failed residents again, says Gove

Michael Gove accused Lambeth Council of having "failed your residents yet again"

Michael Gove has slammed a south London council after it failed to fix a mother's leaking roof for five years.

The housing secretary accused Lambeth Council of having "failed your residents yet again" in a letter dated 16 August.

He was writing in response to failures in a case review outlined by the Housing Ombudsman in June.

Lambeth Council has now moved the resident and paid compensation.

The Labour-led council has previously admitted its response was "inadequate" and apologised.

• Michael Gove hits out at council over housing

Mr Gove said he expected the council to "implement changes as soon as possible," adding he would continue to take a "personal interest" in whether residents noticed an improvement. 

The council has previously apologised about how it handled this case

Earlier this year, the ombudsman ordered the council to pay £6,500 to the affected tenant after it dragged its heels in fixing a damp and mould problem in her flat.

The council had taken five months to act on a safeguarding enquiry from her son's primary school about black mould and a broken window pane in the property. 

The letter comes months after Mr Gove accused the council of failing to provide "the most basic level of decency" to tenants after the ombudsman found severe failings in three separate cases.

Last month, the ombudsman announced Lambeth Council would be the first ever in the country to be inspected over concerns about how it handled a resident's complaint.

Maria Kay, Lambeth's cabinet member for homelessness, apologised, saying the tenant had now been moved to another property with compensation paid.

"I do not believe the service they received in recent years reflects the service the council is providing to residents today," she said.

"We are working hard to improve that service, correcting historic failings, improving complaints processes and ensuring repairs are completed in a timely way. This isn't easy for the council as one of the biggest social landlords in the country at a time of government cuts to councils, but I believe the changes we are making are ensuring residents get a better service.

"We have worked positively with the housing regulator and ombudsman on these changes and welcome engagement with the government on them as well.

"However, Michael Gove's record in government has been one of cuts to local councils and a refusal to invest in the public services that support our residents. After 13 years in power and doing nothing, we need a government that works with councils to invest in services and improving homes, instead of firing off letters from Whitehall while doing nothing to solve the UK housing crisis."

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