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Tenant's anger over long-running work
A Skipton pensioner claims work on her council house has left her at her wits end.
Craven Housing began extensive modernisation work on Maureen Cooper's house in Sharphaw Avenue in May last year.
The work, which included new central heating and a new bathroom and kitchen, was expected to take up to eight weeks.
But nine months later, Mrs Cooper has been left with exposed heating pipes, holes in her wallpaper and a gap behind the new fireplace where the wind blows through.
Craven Housing this week blamed a breakdown in communications and said the work would be properly finished.
Jonathan Norris, from Craven Housing, said it was normal practice for tenants to be offered decorating vouchers to finish off the work themselves, or it would be carried out by their own workmen.
Mrs Cooper, 62, has also been left with a ripped bedroom carpet and is still waiting to have a sofa cleaned after workmen failed to cover it up.
"They told me it was going to take six to eight weeks. We're now in March and I'm still waiting for things to be done. I've given up ringing, because I just don't think they care. I think it's disgusting the way I have been treated," she said.
Mrs Cooper says she is happy with the new kitchen and bathroom, although the paper in the kitchen was not what she wanted, but feels the house has been left unfinished.
"The kitchen and bathroom are very good, but I really expected them to make it good. Last time they did some work, it was redecorated."
While work was taking place, Mrs Cooper was left for days without water and for a while was not able to flush the toilet.
"I had a small electric boiler which stood on the work unit in the kitchen. My grandson and I had to get washed in the kitchen sink. I had no facilities for bathing for 10 days, which I think was disgusting," she said.
Mrs Cooper, whose health is not good after she suffered an aneurysm in August last year, added: "It's not their fault that I had my aneurysm and if I'd been all right the decorating would have been done by now. But I just can't do it and I've no-one that can. I'm going to have to pay someone."
Mr Norris said it was unfortunate two people that Mrs Cooper had been dealing with had left the housing organisation, but he added that anyone would have been happy to take her complaint.
"I did speak to her about her carpet and unfortunately she did not mention any of her other complaints. She has also not filled out a complaint sheet," he said.
Mr Norris said the initial work had been completed in three weeks and it was the finishing off that had taken the rest of the time.
"Unfortunately, it has fallen between the cracks and she has not been handed over to the new gas manager. I shall get the gas manager to go around and look at the decorating and talk about a decorating voucher. People usually opt to take a voucher and go and buy what they want, or we can go and do the plastering work for her."
12:21pm Friday 14th March 2008
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