Reading mum's fury at council over mouldy living conditions

Elaine Parry-Taylor has vented her fury at Reading Borough Council, accusing it of abandoning its duties and leaving her without hot water and heating in the flat which gets ‘freezing’ in winter.

She’s also said that the council has failed to find her and her adult daughter a place to live, leaving her with the mouldy council flat she lives in now in  Corwen Road, Tilehurst.

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When the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) visited her flat earlier this month, mould could be seen throughout the flat – shown in the gallery above.

In periods of heavy rain, Ms Parry-Taylor said water would also leak from the ceiling.

Very bad mould and water staining on the ceiling of Elaine Parry-Taylor's council flat in Tilehurst. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter

She said: “It was nearly dripping on my face, I had to turn the bed around.

“I’ve had ruined curtains, bedding, clothing, stuff I have had to replace, as well as mouldy wallpaper.

“I was freezing, they [the council] cut off the gas, but they allowed electric – so I’ve had no hot water, I’ve had to have it all cold. It’s not been good since the end of October and November last year.”

There is also mould in the kitchen. She added: “It’s hazardous, it was dripping from the wall. I always have to put food away and have lids on everything.

“This is absolutely hazardous, it was a hell of a job for me to do cooking.

There is even mould on the ceiling of the kitchen in the flat. Elaine Parry-Taylor said that when it rains, she has to be careful that water and mould doesn't drip into her food. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter

“I’ve done the best I can. They [the council’s maintenance team] said they’ll come round if it blows the electric. Big deal.”

She said someone from the council came to inspect the property in March, but the issues were clearly unresolved when LDRS attended.

To resolve the dispute, Ms  Parry-Taylor has asked to be moved to a two bedroom home so she can be reunited with her daughter, who is currently living with a boyfriend, and compensation for the distress caused.

She said:  “I have sleepless nights, I can’t stand it anymore.

“I should have been moved from there in November last year.

“They’ve broken all their agreements, they’ve sent be backdated mail to make out that they’ve been doing something when they haven’t.

“It’s like some sick game they’re playing with me.”

There is mould above Elaine Parry-Taylor's bedding area. She says that she has had to throw sheets and clothing away because they have been ruined by the mould. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter

While she was offered alternative accommodation in Tilehurst, Ms Parry-Taylor claims the council did not give her a viewing date. She said: “I took a look at the flat in my own time without going inside, but it was smaller than this and I couldn’t get my bike upstairs.”

A Reading Borough Council spokesman has responded by rejecting Ms Parry-Taylor’s claim that they had ‘cut off’ the gas supply, and that attempts to engage with her to resolve her issues have failed in the past.

The authority was unable to respond to all of her allegations.

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The spokesman said: “After numerous previous attempts to access Ms Parry-Taylor’s property and assess it to help resolve the issues she has reported, officers from Reading Borough Council were able to access and inspect it on Friday, October 22.

“Black mould and damp is evident, exacerbated by the tenant failing to pay for gas via a pre-payment card which would have provided necessary heating and hot water to avoid this issue.

“This failure has led to the gas meter being disconnected for safety reasons due to there being no credit on it.

“The council has confirmed to Ms Parry-Taylor that it is not responsible for her utility bills, as per her signed tenancy agreement, and as soon as she puts credit onto the gas meter an engineer will be instructed to reconnect the gas and service the boiler.”

The council said on October 26 it provided three electric heaters to Ms Parry-Taylor, although only one was accepted.

Black mould in the shower room of Elaine Parry-Taylor's council flat in Tilehurst. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter

The statement continued: “The council also intends to fit extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom, remove the existing mould and repaint, and enhance insulation of the property. However the tenant has been notified that for this to be successful she will need to heat her home.

“The council had previously arranged alternative temporary accommodation for Ms Parry-Taylor to allow repairs to take place at her property, but this was not accepted and after six weeks without acceptance was re-let.

“Further assistance was provided to Ms Parry-Taylor last year to fix a roof leak at the property, and the council continues to try to work actively with the tenant to ensure any remaining issues are resolved.

Elaine Parry-Taylor says she wants to be moved into a new council flat that isn't covered in mould with two bedroom so she can be reunited with her daughter. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter

“The tenant’s housing allocation was based on her housing requirement at the time, which was that of a single household with her daughter having her own accommodation.

“The council has been unable to corroborate further claims by the tenant that she had subsequently been promised a two-bedroom flat by a social worker, with no record of this and the tenant unable to provide any evidence that this happened.

“If Ms Parry-Taylor submits a Housing Register Application to the council’s allocation team demonstrating her need for a two-bed property, her request will be assessed in line with the council’s allocations procedure.”