Letters

SIX WEEK DELAY TO DEAL WITH FLOODING

1 May 2009

I would like to say well done to Ms Connelly for highlighting the presence of asbestos in our homes (Residents’ asbestos fears, News, April 23).

I live in George Walter Court and am having my own problems with Southwark Council regarding the removal of asbestos in my home. Most if not all the homes on this estate have asbestos panelling in the kitchen and bathrooms. I have lived in my home for 24 years and had my kitchen and bathroom tiled. It was some years later I received a letter saying that the panels were asbestos.

Everything seemed fine until March 24 this year, when I awoke to find my kitchen flooded. It was so bad that the water seeped through the wall onto the outside communal landing. I waited for hours for an emergency plumber. It was discovered that the leak was in fact coming from the property next door. The kitchen/bathroom are back to back with each other and the piping and waste lies in the panelling in my home and yes the panelling is asbestos.

Nothing can be done until these panels are removed yet my kitchen continues to be flooded daily.
I have made over 20 phone calls to Southwark but no-one seems really bothered.

I put in a formal complaint and was told they had fifteen days to respond and then they could send a holding letter. It’s hard to get a named person to speak to and when I finally did the lady didn't seem overly bothered but promised to phone back - but never did. A man I spoke to did respond a couple of times but was arrogant to say the least and on my last call to him he told me I shouldn't keep bothering him and he was going to terminate my call.

People who work at Southwark should remember that they are public servants. The higher up the ladder they are the worse they are. I lost all my new kitchen flooring due to this leak. One of my kitchen units is living in my front room, firstly to dry out and now waiting for repairs to be done to enable it to be put back. My bathroom flooring will likely have to come up due to major repairs.

Are Southwark going to compensate me for this? Would these "higher up the ladder "people and councillors who work for Southwark like to cook in their kitchen and watch water come down the wall and then smell the damp and know there is nothing they can do to stop it?

I work full time in a Southwark special needs school and it’s not easy to keep taking time off so that different people can come down to do this survey and that survey. I have finally got a date for my work to be done - supposedly 5th,6th and 7th May.That means it will have taken Southwark six weeks to respond. I don't think this is good enough. This council would do well to remember who it is who votes for them in the local elections. 

Christine Mann, by email.

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