York woman says Clifton home plagued by mould for 14 years

Jane Allison Walker, of Lucas Avenue in Clifton, first moved to the City of York Council owned property 15 years ago. She said the mould started to develop six months into her tenancy.

First visible in her bathroom, Miss Walker said the mould has now got so bad it is damaging her furniture, clothes and curtains.

City of York Council said it was investing millions of pounds to tackle mould in council homes and will continue to work hard to tackle any problems.

Miss Walker said: "It's affecting my health, all my clothes have gone mouldy. I had to turn down going to a funeral because I had nothing to wear," she said.

She added: "I moved into this house with 16 pairs of curtains, I've only got one left."

Miss Walker said she had breathing problems, which her doctor thought was connected to the mould.

Last year, she suffered a knee injury that caused her to spend time in hospital. After spending time away from her home, her breathing issues began to subside, Miss Walker claimed.

Recently, she has progressed from a regular inhaler to a steroid inhaler to combat the issue, she said.

"My health has deteriorated, after being back for three weeks my cough returned," Miss Walker added.

Miss Walker said she had made attempts to contact City of York Council over this issue on multiple occasions, but she claimed she had been offered little in the way of solutions.

 The vent installed by council contractors to tackle the issue (Image: Harry Booth)

The council did install a plastic vent in her bedroom, she said. However, Miss Walker said it was installed off centre, leaving a hole in the wall. 

"That's near my head when I sleep, I have to block it up because it's freezing," Miss Walker said.

City of York Council said it continued to tackle the problem on mould in council homes.

Michael Jones, head of housing delivery and asset management at the council, said: "Mould can be a common issue in many homes involving a number of factors.

"When issues are reported, we work with residents to remedy it as soon as possible. Where there are severe problems, we address them in ways which can include cleaning the mould with anti-fungicidal treatments; repairing damp proof membranes, faulty guttering or insulating walls, to raise their temperature and prevent condensation.

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"We appreciate that carrying out such work can be disruptive and we thank those council home tenants who’ve provided their time and allowed us access to their homes to resolve damp and mould issues.

"Since 2016, the council has invested more than £7.8 million to tackle damp and mould issues and have recently committed to investing a further £1.8 million to help improve council homes, including addressing damp issues. 

"Besides offering appointments to assess and repair a home, we offer advice and information, and can offer eligible tenants fuel vouchers to help them adequately heat their homes. We continue to encourage customers to report issues of damp and mould and to allow the council access to assess and remedy those problems."