Damp flat forces Kirkcaldy man to sleep on his settee
The damp in Mr Gunning's bathroom
A KIRKCALDY man has been forced to sleep on his settee due to the level of damp throughout his Fife Council flat.
John Gunning, who lives in Caithness Place, is now unable to sleep in his bedroom, declaring it to be “uninhabitable” and has criticised the Council for failing to fix the problem.
Mr Gunning (57), who has lived in the flat since 2006, says the problem began last October.
Blocked
“The central drainage system in the building became blocked and I had water coming into the flat from everywhere,” he said.
“The hall flooded once a week, it was in the kitchen cupboards and I was worried that it was going to get into the electrics.
“I complained to the Council weekly but it still took them over two months to get something done.”
The Council fixed the initial problem but it was after that Mr Gunning noticed the problem with damp, which has spread to every room in the flat.
He said: “I complained again and someone from the housing department came to measure the dampness. You can smell it as soon as you open the door. He didn’t even switch on his meter, that’s how bad it is.
“Then the Council had a specialist firm come and do a survey. The man who came out said he wanted to meet with the housing department about the problem.
“That was over a month ago and I’ve heard nothing since.”
Mr Gunning described the situation as a “nightmare”.
“It’s very stressful and extremely frustrating,” he said. “Luckily I keep myself fairly active but if I didn’t I’m pretty sure my health would have suffered.”
“I’m a good tenant. I’ve never missed a rent or council tax payment ever.
“I just want this all sorted out.”
Specialists
Russell Gray, lead officer at Fife Council, said: “We have been working with damp specialists Richardson & Starling to resolve the issues in Mr Gunning’s property.
“They have carried out a survey and have made some recommendations on how to treat the dampness and water ingress problems.
“Unfortunately the source of the leak is an upstairs property and there has been difficulty in gaining access.
“We are working to resolve this and will be in touch with Mr Gunning to report on progress.”
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Weather for Kirkcaldy
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 30 mph
Wind direction: North
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