Newcastle City Council is addressing over 1,000 complaints of damp and mould in housing blocks by upgrading ventilation systems
Newcastle: The city is dealing with a serious damp and mould issue in its tower blocks. The council is set to replace ventilation systems that just aren’t cutting it. They’ve got over 1,000 complaints to tackle, which is no small feat.
These housing blocks are in for some major repairs. After taking back control of around 25,000 properties last summer, the council found they weren’t meeting new standards in several areas. The backlog of damp and mould cases is a big concern.
But there’s some good news! The council says they’re making real progress. A report coming out next week shows they’ve managed to reduce the backlog of damp and mould reports by over a third in just three months.
They went from 1,867 cases in July 2024 down to 1,205 by late October. The goal is to clear the entire backlog by April this year. They’re also planning to upgrade the ventilation systems in communal housing blocks that are struggling with condensation, starting with Clarence House and Stoddart House next month.
A spokesperson for the council mentioned that they’re doing structural surveys to figure out which blocks need the most urgent repairs. They’re on a mission to inspect all their housing stock, and so far, they’ve completed over 3,000 inspections.
These inspections have flagged some serious safety issues, with 12 cases needing immediate attention. The council is expecting to get a C3 grading from the Regulator of Social Housing, which means they’ve got some serious work to do to improve their standards.
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