This flat is no place to bring up a baby

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This flat is no place to bring up a baby

NAOMI CANTON

25 August 2006 15:04

Norwich Evening News - Norwich,England

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.aspx?

brand=ENOnline & category=News & tBrand=enonline & tCategory=news & itemid=NO

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A mother-of-one has demanded action from city council chiefs over

the condition of her flat which is covered in mould and overcrowded.

Simone Ward lives in a one-bedroom flat in Temple Road, New Catton,

with her three-month-old son Lexus and her 23-year-old husband

Victor.

She said the flat is overcrowded, has mould growing in the bathroom,

kitchen and bedroom, water dripping through the ceiling and the

tiles are bursting.

Mrs Ward, 20, said she had been in touch with the council since she

became pregnant last October to get moved to better accommodation.

She was told that she did not have enough points and would have to

wait until her baby was born. But when little Lexus arrived, she was

told she still did not qualify.

She said her husband's income as a car sprayer was not enough for

them to privately rent and she was on maternity leave from her job

as an administrator at s electrical store on Hall Road.

The couple moved into the flat two and a half years ago when she was

declared homeless.

Despite the fact they married in May, her husband was still not on

the tenancy list, she said.

" There is nowhere to put my son's clothes and I can't put his

wardrobe up, " she said.

" I can't get his push chair through the front door because of the

settee which is blocking the entrance. The flat is just tiny. It's

ok for a little old lady or something like that but not for a

family. "

Mrs Ward said she had to dismantle a chest of drawers and push her

wardrobe out the way to fit her son's changing unit and cot in. As a

result she was unable to open her wardrobe doors and was living out

of a suitcase.

" We have had to decorate it three times because of the mould.

Yesterday dripping water caused the lights to switch off, " she added.

" The city council told us to leave the windows open but we can't

because we have a high criminal rate around here. We have got mould

on the walls, ceiling and floor it's everywhere. I moved the

wardrobe in the bedroom and the whole floor was black and it was up

the wall and going through to the bathroom. " It's not healthy for my

baby, he is catching colds because it is so damp in here. All my

clothes are green and they absolutely stink. Four of his outfits in

his changing unit have been ruined by the mould and I had to throw

them out. "

Mrs Ward is now considering legal action against the council.

A Norwich City Council spokeswoman said: " We are aware of the

complaint and we are investigating it but we cannot go into the

details of an individual case. "

T - Do you have a problem with you council flat? If so, email Naomi

Canton at naomi.canton@... or telephone (01603) 772418