Border Telegraph | News | Rising damp leads for calls for housing estate to be rebuilt

Friday, 25th July, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 7th May, 2008 12:00

Rising damp leads for calls for housing estate to be rebuilt

By David Knox

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A FURIOUS father believes an entire Selkirk housing estate may need rebuilt to end an ongoing dampness dilemma.

For over two years Wayne Darling has battled with his landlord Scottish Borders Housing Association over the state of his Raeburn Meadow house.

And a recent decision to consult his neighbours has resulted in a petition with 40 signatures of householders with similar problems.

The landscape gardener now wants the housing association not just to deal with his mouldy mess, but the entire scheme.

Wayne told the Border Telegraph: “In the space of just a couple of weeks I have collected 40 signatures from people who live here that also want action taken on their houses.

“We are all sick of trying to get something done by ourselves.

“I want an independent surveyor to come and look at our properties as a lot of the tenants believe the dampness is

caused by structural problems.

“Major work is required – not just the touch-ups they offer. It may be as bad as the houses having to come down and be rebuilt. It really is that bad.”

The 40-year-old Skarns housing estate was plagued with problems in the 1980s as their flat roof designs had led to leaks.

Scottish Borders Council built standard sloping roofs onto the houses as a remedy in the 1990s and several of the properties were snapped up on the right-to-buy scheme.

But many of the tenants who were transferred to Scottish Borders Housing Association five years ago have started to find problems again – and they are blaming the dampness on a lack of proper maintenance by the social landlord.

Wayne’s partner Pippa Doran has been left frustrated for over two years.

The mum-of-three told us: “Our ceilings are all black, we have mould coming up from the skirting boards and there’s damp patches beneath the carpets.

“We’ve been complaining for well over two years and we still can’t use two of our rooms.

“My youngest child has been suffering with a bad chest ever since she was born and our health visitor and doctor have written letters to say that these conditions are bad for our children’s health.

“I thought it was just our house but since Wayne started the petition plenty of others have come forward with problems in their houses as well.”

Bosses at the housing association have attempted to claim cooking pots and condensation caused the dampness.

Local list MSP Christine Grahame visited Pippa’s Raeburn Meadow house last week.

The politician said: “The dampness which many of the residents are complaining about appears to be located in the same area of tenants’ homes indicating a design or structural damp related issue rather than the lifestyle problem that SBHA claim to be the cause.

“It is apparent that there is a growing sense of anger and frustration amongst tenants and the manner in which SBHA appeared to have dismissed, out-of-hand, calls by them for action to improve their homes.”

Scottish Borders Housing Association refutes the claims that there is a chronic dampness problem at the Skarns.

Duncan Mackay, director of Technical Services, explained: “There is a very distinct difference between genuine dampness which is due to a defect in the building and condensation which occurs when too high a level of moisture is generated by the occupants of a property, and there is insufficient ventilation or heating.

“Every tenant of SBHA is in the fortunate position of having a 24-hour freephone repairs line to call to report any maintenance issues which they have with their SBHA.”

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