THURROCK Council's housing department has been damned as many families across the borough start a new year in homes riddled with damp and mould.

The problems stretch across the borough, with reports to Thurrock Nub News of significant issues at homes in Purfleet, South Ockendon, Grays and Tilbury.

In one of the latest incidents, we can tell of a young family having to suffer in shocking living conditions.

Problems with damp and mould across the whole range of Thurrock Council homes, from tower blocks to council houses to small flats have been well documented iver a number of years (see this 2021 report for example), but in recent weeks there has been an increase in incidents reported to Thurrock Nub News and local councillors.

The council has recognised it has a substantive problem across the borough – and indeed is planning to tear down three of the worst affected tower blocks in Blackshots.

But the authority's financial crisis appears to have exacerbated the problem, with more and more residents saying they are getting the brush-off from the council when issues are raised.

And that the council has attempted to find ways to blame tenants for not working with the council to tackle the worst cases.

In the past, a senior Tory councillor went as far as to turn the blame on tenants.

An example of council contractor just painting over a damp-affected area in a borough flat.

Residents in Purfleet also believe that penny-pinching and bad management on a major refurbishment project in the Garrison estate has left homes that were previously in a good state of repair, facing huge problems.

One of the worst instances is exemplified by a property in Perth House in Tilbury, when a mum and young family four children are living with water running down the walls and widespread mould. You can see the extent of the problem in our video.

Things got so bad recently that the influx of water was so heavy that it left a six year old child sleeping in a soaking bed, a discovery that shocked her mother when she went into the bedroom in the morning.

Nub News understands that a number of other flats in the block are suffering similar problems – and blame by residents is being attributed to a faulty roof, but that is denied by the council.

The council has also alleged that the tenant at the property in question has refused to let workers into the property or not been home when workers attended – a claim the resident strongly refutes and says she has doorbell camera footage that can prove the council is 'simply telling lies'.

In response to issues at Perth House and the flat in question, Thurrock Council told Nub News: "We are aware of previous concerns raised by the resident and we are committed to investigating and resolving any outstanding issues. 

"Unfortunately, despite a number of attempts to carry out an inspection of the property, we have been unable to gain access since June 2023. 

"This remains of importance to us, and we continue to try to make the necessary arrangements.

"We can confirm that we have received no reports relating to the recent case of water ingress described.

"However, we have made arrangements with the resident for our responsive repairs Contractor, Mears to attend on 4 January."

However, the resident says the visit was simply another botched affair.

Water running down the walls of a child's bedroom in Perth House.

The resident's mother told Nub News: "They turn up without a timed appointment exactly as they did today and were still given access even though my daughter knew nothing about them coming. It was one man who said he had 'come to fix a leak'.

"When he saw the flat there was little, he could do.

"Honestly, we've tried every which way to resolve it they are just so incompetent and couldn't care less! It's impossible to work with them."

Following last Thursday's visit, Nub News has asked the council to comment but we have had no further response.

Across the borough Thurrock Nub News recently reported on the ongoing problems with the faults in homes in South Grays, where water, damp and mould are also prevalent in some homes as the long-running recladding and window refitting saga at the blocks go on.

And in Purfleet, a council project to replace windows on properties on the Garrison estate has been widely condemned as a 'botch job', with many residents upset at the state of their homes following what they claim is shoddy workmanship.

Among them resident, Chris Coveney says he fears some residents are already starting to suffer from mould and damp because of ill-fitting replacement windows that were installed two years ago.

He says: "There are lots of people on the Garrison in the same situation, new windows and doors that were supposed to be more insulated, but people are having to spend more on heating bills, the lofts that were insulated also are useless with very bad draughts.

"The council are just not listening, even though one inspector said to me 'off the record, the windows are rubbish and need replacing'."

Another resident says the onset of mould and damp is a direct result of the refitting, saying: "I complained about these and I'm getting mould I have never had before in the 20 plus years I have lived in my property."

Mr Coveney's comments on social media have sparked a glut of similar stories, many of which have now been picked up by ward councillors Aaron Green and Lee Watson, who say they are liaising with council staff to evaluate the real scope of the problem.

Damp is increasingly prevelant in this flat in Corve Lane.

And in South Ockendon, residents in the block at Corve Lane are experiencing problems – saying the council repeatedly carries out temporary fixes by clearing and painting over damp and mouldy sports rather than fixing the problems permanently.

Again residents believe problems are associated with the roof of this property.

One resident there told Thurrock Nub News: "Mears came here around five weeks ago and treated the problem and within a week it had reappeared but worse and is now in places it never existed before.

"Mears then came back on Friday, 15 December and told me they would rush things through as work needed doing asap.

Council homes on Corve Lane.

"Eventually they came back last week but they left the place a mess with paint everywhere. I've had to redecorate but already the damp is beginning to come through what they did.

"The mould and damp is spreading around my living room, my bedroom, my children's bedroom. My son is severely asthmatic, and this is not good for his health.

"I've had the council round numerous times to treat the mould and it just keeps coming back. They need to do something permanently about this."