Pensioner still waiting to be rehoused after seven years in home riddled with mould

Alec Doyle, local democracy reporter

A pensioner who has been kept waiting to move out of her damp, mouldy bungalow for seven years by her local council claims her home is making her sick.

Theresa Batty, 82, says the damp and mould in her Wrexham council-owned bungalow in Ponciau is having a major impact on her physical and mental health – making it difficult for her to breathe in her own home and causing her severe depression.

Mrs Batty suffers from a list of health conditions including type two diabetes, the heart condition atrial fibrillation, hypertension, eczema and oedema (swelling) of the legs.

Recently Wrexham County Borough Council sent out contractors to scrape away black mould in her bedroom, kitchen, living room and bathroom and give the walls an anti-mould treatment and repaint.

Sticking plaster

But Mrs Batty – who has been raising concerns since 2018 – says the council is simply putting sticking plasters over the problem and is taking too long to move her into a warm, comfortable home.

“I can’t live like this anymore,” she said. “This house is making me more sick. Every time they come out and treat the issue, it comes back. The house constantly smells of damp and it’s not right.

“They are not getting rid of it and at this point I don’t believe they can. I just want to be able to live and breathe in my own home in comfort.

“I can’t go into the kitchen for longer than a few minutes as I begin to cough uncontrollably and struggle to breathe. I have health conditions and it’s making them worse. When they do come around to treat the problem, the anti-mould [spray] they put down goes everywhere – even on my legs. It is irritating my skin condition.”

Back in 2018 Wrexham Council said Mrs Batty was on the housing waiting list adding: “We are aware of our tenant’s concerns and will do all we can to resolve them.”

But the problems with her home continue to blight her to this day. Just last month Mrs Batty’s GP wrote to Wrexham Council urging them to move her to a more suitable home.

Dampness

In her letter Dr George Williams wrote: ‘Mrs Batty’s current accommodation is badly affected by dampness, which although it has been rectified by her landlord, is still a major issue in that it is still present and is causing problems with her health, in particular her chest conditions.”

Dr Williams supported the idea of moving Mrs Batty to the Penycae area where she will be close to her daughter, who provides some of her care needs.”

When Mrs Batty first raised concerns over damp and mould in her home back in 2018, she had already been dealing with problems in the bungalow for two years.

Issues back then included damp and mould along with water leaking into the electric cupboard, effluent leaking into her shower, unsafe electrical wiring, a loft leak and damp running down the walls.

When asked why Mrs Batty was still experiencing problems and waiting to be rehomed after seven years, a Wrexham Council spokesperson said: “Our estates office have been in dialogue with Mrs Batty as well as officers visiting the property in February. We are looking to rectify any issues outstanding.

“Demand for social housing in Wrexham currently far outweighs supply with allocation of properties issued on a priority needs bases.”