By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter
A Greenwich couple claim they are going through ‘mental torture’ after dealing with damp and mould issues in their council flat for nearly four years.
Kevin Barry, 71, and Rita Barry, 72, have lived in the flat in Blackheath for 29 years, with Mrs Barry claiming mould has been a recurring issue since 2021.
She says it’s been a problem since Greenwich council attended to resolve damp that was coming into her son’s bedroom. More recently, the mum said the plastic guttering on the side of the building was causing water to saturate the outside wall each time it rained, leading to leaks in the bathroom.
Mrs Barry said the guttering was replaced on August 5 last year, alongside bricks on the wall being repointed. She said the leaks in the toilet appear to have ceased since then, but the ‘disgusting’ mould on the wall and floor have remained, claiming surveyors have told her the wall will eventually need to be replastered and redecorated.
She said: “The wall is all mouldy and horrible. It was a year ago last November when we reported that for the first time. The water was pouring out the bottom of the window. I walked in there one night to go to the loo and there was a big puddle on the floor.”
The couple said they then noticed the guttering on the front of the property had led to rain hitting the living room window in September last year, leaving a wet patch on the windowsill.
Mrs Barry said a member of the authority’s repairs team visited last October and sprayed a sealant on the brickwork of the building to prevent water seeping into the outside walls.
Mr Barry said: “He sprayed all this stuff out there and off he goes and since then we’ve had the weather that we’ve had. A short time later, this mould starts coming through here and it’s going all along the wall underneath the windows.”
The pensioner said a Greenwich council surveyor told him that the mould in the living room was due to retained water in the brickwork seeping inside the property after the sealant was applied to the external bricks.
The couple claimed contractors have missed six appointments to investigate necessary works in the flat since the end of October.
Mr Barry said: “You’ve got all these issues to face health-wise, which is a battle, and mentally you have got to stay strong for that. But when you’ve got the council launching a second front against you aggravation-wise with regards to repairs, it’s like mental torture. It’s a total mess.”
Mould in the couple’s bedroom became so prevalent in late 2022 that they resorted to sleeping on a camp bed and couch cushions in their living room, Mr Barry added.
A Greenwich council spokesman said: “While we acknowledge and apologise for some of the delays, we restarted internal work recently and expect to complete any outstanding issues shortly.”
Pictured top: Kevin and Rita Barry in their Blackheath flat (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)