A pregnant mum-of-nine said her family are all suffering ill health because of a damp and mouldy housing association home.I can’t wait for the roll call….
*deep breath*
Here goes!
Iona Heaton, 43, partner Paul Brown, 45, and their children Kaiden, nine months, Zak, two, Keegan, three, Kian, four, Elle, six, Kain, seven, Jade, 16 and Shannon, 17…Yikes! It's the Popular Culture full house!
…all share a four-bedroomed Twin Valley Home in Oozehead Lane, Blackburn.‘Oozehead Lane’..? Seriously?
She said: “Twin Valley come out, and out again, but nobody does anything about the spring underneath, or about the damp problem.And that’s the council’s fault, is it?
“All the kids have asthma now, and we’re constantly back and forth to the doctors for antibiotics.
“I have to have five children sleeping in my bedroom with me because their rooms are so freezing and damp.
“Me and my partner argue all the time because it’s so stressful living in a house like this.
“Because nothing gets done, I’ve asked to move, but they say we can’t because they haven’t got a house big enough for all of us.”
The family survive on metal polisher Paul’s £200 a week wage and total benefits of £575 a week.Maybe that’s a clue to not breed yourself out of house and home?
But no. It’s ‘er ‘uman rights, innit?
Iona said: “I’m one of eight children and have always wanted a big family. I’ve told Paul we are stopping after this one, but he won’t have the snip so I’ll have to.”Definitely a man you should breed with, love. Quite a catch…
“My mum doesn’t speak to me because of all the children. If people don’t like it, then tough. That’s just their opinion.”Except, it’s not. It’s their money.
Ian Rumsam, head of repairs at Twin Valley Homes, said: “Following an inspection this week, we have confirmed that the source of the problem is from a blocked drain in the privately rented property next door. As a goodwill gesture, to resolve the problem caused to our tenant, we have cleared the blocked drain and are tending to a blocked downspout at our tenant’s home.”I think you’re trying to fix the wrong problematic downspout there, chum…
18 comments:
"A pregnant mum-of-nine" ..
Christ almighty, it must resemble a wizard's sleeve .. ;)
While there does appear to be a genuine damp problem here, these stories of mould and asthma always remind me of a conversation I had with a plasterer some years ago.
He was employed by a housing association, and said that the bulk of his work was repairing damage caused by condensation in houses where the windows were never opened, even in summer - sometimes he had to show the occupants how to open them.
Thanks to mandatory airtight double glazing, spiralling heating costs and children spending much of their leisure time indoors, any damp problem in a house is likely to be exacerbated by lack of ventilation to a level that damages health.
And of course it's always someone else's fault.
PS That's some collection of trophy names! I feel particurly sorry for Kian and Kain - I hope they aren't dyslexic.
How about a sweepstake for what she decides to call number ten?
Well, whad'ya know?
The Lancashire Telegraph isn't, it seems, giving the whole picture...
'Kevin Ruth, Twin Valley Homes’ Executive Director, said: 'In just under three years, we have been to Miss Heaton’s property 25 times and spent around £4,000 on independent surveys and extra maintenance to try and alleviate her condensation problem.
We have given advice on minimising condensation and installed a positive ventilation system, which we have discovered has been covered up with plastic bags and tape on a number of occasions.
With so many people and pets living in the property condensation is unavoidable unless the property is properly ventilated.'
Daily Mail
"We have given advice on minimising condensation and installed a positive ventilation system, which we have discovered has been covered up with plastic bags and tape on a number of occasions" ...
I sincerely hope that if that is the case, she's charged with criminal damage & attempted fraud ..
"Iona Heaton" ..
After 9 kids, with another on the way, perhaps she ought to seriously consider changing her name to Iona Onheat ? .. ;)
I presume, like all benefit-ordered families, the free central heating they get is on full blast all the time.
Near me you can tell the houses where no one works for a living because in winter they have the curtains open (though the windows shut) while they sit around in vests to watch Britain's Got Benefits as they sup beer out of cans. Well, it's too hot to do anything but strip off.
Twin Valley Homes....what a lucky organisation you are to have them as tenants. Any chance the champagne socialists who own a number of properties could take them in. They afterall have bred this sense of entitlement.
The family should be reminded there are only so many shelf-stackers that Tesco can take on and unless the kids get a degree they are going to miss out.
Weekly income of £775 is £40300 p.a..
He doesn't need the "Snip" - just the swift application of a size 12 steel toe-capped boot...
It sometimes makes me weep to hear of these people. When I was courting we couldn't afford to marry, let alone breed. I am now single, childless and bitter (ooh, and still skint). Perhaps I should have disregarded dignity and scrounged like billy-o.
I had presumed Jade was named after Jade Goody, but she's too old. I guess keegan could be named after Kevin Keegan.
Or the military historian Sir John Keeegan...
With so many people and pets living in the property condensation is unavoidable unless the property is properly ventilated.
It sounds like a medieval long house with double glazing. At least people paid for the upkeep of their own kids in the Middle Ages.
"The family survive on metal polisher Paul’s £200 a week wage and total benefits of £575 a week"
"A pregnant mum-of-nine..."
I think we can assume there's a highly polished helmet in the house.
And an early deployment of "Top Set/Bottom Set" a game played for all Teachers. This lot are an instant "Bottom Set" choice! It is only a matter of time that "Tee-Jay" and "Matalan" put in an appearance.
I've been to many a house like this.
There is a mental list I tick off on arrival;
Sticky carpets (or floorboards).
Huge TV with no off button or volume down button.
Ashtrays overflowing.
Children everywhere (including the cupboards-as in Monty Python the Meaning of Life).
Washing drying on the radiators so that the room resembles the Eden Project.
And of course the obligatory dog,not house-trained.
Check check and double-check.
"Christ almighty, it must resemble a wizard's sleeve .. ;)"
Quite!
"And of course it's always someone else's fault."
Spot on! That seems to be the constant refrain in these cases...
"The Lancashire Telegraph isn't, it seems, giving the whole picture..."
Wow, the DM actually did something other than reprint the story verbatim, then?
"Twin Valley Homes....what a lucky organisation you are to have them as tenants."
Aren't they indeed?
"Weekly income of £775 is £40300 p.a.."
Yup. They're 'earning' more than me :(
"It sometimes makes me weep to hear of these people. "
It ALWAYS makes me weep! We're encouraging the wrong people to reproduce.
"There is a mental list I tick off on arrival.."
Having to wipe your feet on the way OUT is the first clue?
"It ALWAYS makes me weep! We're encouraging the wrong people to reproduce."
Long prison sentences are an effective form of contraception. It's a shame there isn't a wider (but necessarily tacit) appreciation of this.
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