A mum from Milton Keynes who said that a catalogue of serious repair works not carried out by her housing association left her and her five-year-old child in an unsafe situation, enjoyed a warm Christmas after MKFM stepped in.
Lesley Aukett from Emerson Valley has been a tenant in the home, managed by BPHA, for 10 years.
She said that issues with plumbing and leaks made the house dangerous, and with temperatures plummeting in the lead up to Christmas, Lesley’s heating system broke down too.
“Since August, we have experienced persistent plumbing and leak issues, including water pouring through the ceiling on multiple occasions, soaked carpets, and the development of mould,” Lesley told MKFM, “In September, BPHA confirmed that a faulty shower pump needed replacing. During a visit, contractors isolated a leak and disconnected the pump, leaving the system unusable and contributing to the loss of heating and hot water.
"I repeatedly had to turn off the water at the mains and manage unsafe conditions while repairs were delayed or incorrectly logged.
“There has been such a catalogue of issues, and it has been very challenging.”
MKFM contacted BPHA who attended the property and Lesley and her son got to enjoy a toasty Christmas after all: “I’m incredibly grateful to MKFM — after months of delays, the bathroom repairs were finally completed on 23 December and our heating was restored on Christmas Eve, so we could at last enjoy a warm Christmas."
In a statement to MKFM, a spokesperson for BPHA said: “We are sorry that Mrs Aukett has experienced issues with her immersion cylinder, boiler and a leaking shower pump hose, and for the upset and inconvenience this has caused.
"The shower pump hose, which served two showers, was replaced on 9 September, following reports of a leak in August. On 14 October, further issues were found, due to an unrelated issue with the immersion cylinder, which provides a back-up hot water supply to the home. A repair was booked for 5 November, however we were unable to attend during the timeslot agreed with the customer and a second appointment was booked for 2 December. The immersion heater was repaired during this appointment.
"Mrs Aukett contacted bpha on 20 November to say that the shower was leaking again. Our operative established that the current pump could not effectively operate both showers and disconnected the ensuite shower to ensure the shower in the main bathroom could work as normal.
"During the appointment, Mrs Aukett was mistakenly told that BPHA could not repair the shower as it had not been installed by us. We are raising this with the operative and apologise for this miscommunication."
Lesley said, “As a good tenant I feel I was badly let down, and it shouldn’t have taken this level of action to make my home appropriately habitable again. I’m thankful to MKFM for stepping in and helping my family."
