Residents of a building for vulnerable adults say the company running it, Central and Cecil, and the Islington & Shoreditch Housing Association, are ignoring their concerns over fire safety and rubbish disposal.
Richard Murphy, 47, who lives in a new-build property near Angel where fly-tipping is a persistent problem said he is “ sleeping with one eye open”.
“It’s a living nightmare and the bane of my life. In the aftermath of Grenfell this is how landlords are carrying on, not dealing with health and safety. It scares me. Everyone’s angry,” Mr Murphy said. He claims that Central & Cecil, are now “flat-out blanking him” on the issue of catching the culprits who have been dumping mattresses, old tvs and more.
Mr Murphy said: “I’m sick of being ignored by Central & Cecil. The community lights have been broken for months on end. They say they’ll catch whoever’s doing it, but if they’re doing it in the cover of darkness, how is that ever going to happen? I have to sleep with one eye open because I’m worried about a fire.”
A spokesperson for the housing trust said: “We acknowledge that there has been a delay in the replacement of the light fitting in this area and for this we offer our apologies.
“C&C and ISHA maintain regular contact and work together to both manage any removals as they arise whilst putting measures in place to stop fly-tipping in the future. Our Housing Officer inspects this site weekly to ensure that the area is kept clear.”
@IslingtonBC How do we get the recycling bins taken away,Baring Crt,you don’t collect so we no longer recycle.Just a health hazard now
— Happy as Larry# (@flatbiker) November 20, 2018
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Islington & Shoreditch Housing Association also claimed: “We all work together to prevent fly-tipping and have been working with Central & Cecil to find a long-term solution for this ongoing problem.”
Systematic neglect of rubbish disposal is not limited to Mr Murphy’s home. Residents of nearby Baring Court claim that the council fails to uphold its commitment to weekly recycling collection, leading to foul smells and environmental damage. When the vans do come, they allegedly throw recycling and non-recycling alike into one big heap.
“Apart from anything else it just stinks when you walk past,” a Baring Court resident said. “The council do nothing about it even when loads of us complain. It’s meant to be every Tuesday but I guarantee you it’s nowhere near that often, and it ends up getting taken away with the normal rubbish instead of proper recycling.”
A spokesperson for the Housing Ombudsman Service said: “If anyone [living in a housing association property] has something they need looked into urgently, we can help people even if they’re still processing the complaint with the landlord, so you can give us a call if you’re having any trouble.”
The council declined to comment.
The Housing Ombudsman Service complaints process can be accessed online at https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/residents/make-a-complaint/ or by phone on 0300 111 3000.
