Work underway to rid mould and damp from homes in Stoke-on-Trent

It's part of a zero-tolerance campaign by the City Council

Damp and mouldy home
Author: Adam SmithPublished 27th Dec 2023
Last updated 27th Dec 2023

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is on a major crackdown on damp and mould across its homes.

They've sent out ‘Find It, Fix It’ teams from the city council’s repairs services provider, Unitas, and visited 959 properties across the city so far to carry out some form of intervention while a further 385 properties are set to have works completed.

Work which has been carried out to deal with damp, mould and condensation includes mould removal treatment, applying anti-mould paint, repairing and replacing extractor fans, plastering works and loft insulation.

Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, regeneration and planning, said: “It is our intention to ensure that incidents of damp and mould are rare, brief and resolved first time and I believe we are well on our way to achieving that. Since we launched this campaign last month, we have adopted a new Fuel Poverty Strategy which includes plans to invest millions of pounds installing central heating systems and energy efficiency measures across council-owned homes. So, while we are making great progress, we will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to damp and mould because everybody has a right to live in a safe and warm home.”

So far (up to Friday 15 December, 2023) more than 1,344 reports of damp, mould and condensation have been logged via the authority’s website and contact centre, with reports varying from large patches of mould to condensation on windows.

As part of the campaign known as D.A.M.P, the city council is carrying out annual checks across its council properties to identify incidents of damp and mould. It is also looking to address the issue of missed appointments by establishing an updated set of service standards, due to be published in the new year, which outline the authority’s commitment to its tenants.

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