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Hayley Flanagan's three years of mould misery in Faversham

00:00, 09 February 2015

updated: 11:29, 09 February 2015

A Faversham woman and her family say they have lived a “nightmare” for the past three years because of a worsening mould problem.

Hayley Flanagan has had to chuck out furniture, clothes and curtains as the damp spreads around her three-bedroom house on the North Preston estate.

After contacting officers at housing association AmicusHorizon as soon as she spotted the problem back in 2012, she feels she has been repeatedly fobbed off and ignored ever since.

Hayley Flanagan in the kitchen of her house, which she says is riddled with mould.
Hayley Flanagan in the kitchen of her house, which she says is riddled with mould.

But in the past three years, the fungus problem has only got worse.

She lives at the house in Broomfield Road with her partner Anthony and her 16-year-old son Jake.

After 13 years living in a home she loved dearly before it was riddled with damp, she is begging Amicus Horizon to get rid of the mould.

Hayley, 45, said: “For three years, we have been asking them to sort this problem out and we are at the end of our tether.

"For three years, we have been asking them to sort this problem out and we are at the end of our tether."

“We had someone come round about six weeks ago who said they would promise to get it sorted. But we are used to this, and we are also used to them not doing anything about it.

“We have even said we will move, but we are ignored yet again. It is getting worse. The amount of money we have had to spend on buying new things because of the mould and buying paint.”

AmicusHorizon owns a number of houses in Faversham and more than 28,000 nationwide. It says it has carried out “extensive checks” at Hayley’s property, including checking the water mains, replacing guttering and repairing brickwork, roofing and replacing an extractor fan.

Hayley Flanagan with curtains which have had to be replaced because of continuous damp problem.
Hayley Flanagan with curtains which have had to be replaced because of continuous damp problem.

Spokesman Jennifer Bates said: “A further survey carried out in November 2014 by a specialist surveyor established the dampness in the property is not caused by external influences but by condensation.

“Our staff have explained to the resident this can be significantly reduced by heating the home and maintaining a background temperature of no less than 16°C.

Mould around a bathroom window in Hayley's home.
Mould around a bathroom window in Hayley's home.

“The problem can also be managed by ensuring the use of extractor fans when cooking and bathing, avoiding drying clothes on radiators and ensuring air flow within the property through the use of trickle vents.

“Our staff have offered the resident advice on condensation and mould prevention. We’re happy to offer further help if required.”

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