Sheffield tower block tenant challenges council over overheating and window safety issues
Peter MacLoughlin has expressed his frustration over conditions at the Netherthorpe tower block.
A Sheffield high-rise flats campaigner has called for urgent action to address issues such as damp, infestations and overheating at the Netherthorpe tower block.
Peter MacLoughlin, has been a 14th floor tenant at Netherthorpe tower block since 1988, and has been campaigning for better standards throughout his time in the Steel City.
He notably acted as Sheffield's Cabinet Member for Housing between 1996 and 2004 - and continues to lobby for safer housing conditions across the city, particularly in tower blocks.
When asked about how Netherthorpe has changed over the years, he told The Star: “I have seen a huge turnover in staff and middle management, but that’s no excuse for the state it is in at the moment.
“There was initially a bit of a regeneration in 1996 which was positive but it was all done on the cheap, and inevitably if we continue to have a government financing things on the cheap, nobody should be surprised that the problem is getting worse later down the road.”
Mr MacLoughin explains that some of the problems he’s dealing with day-to-day include damp, mould, structural cracks, persistent infestations, and overheating during ever increasing and extreme heatwaves.
He said: ”Temperatures in our room hit 41c. That’s close to the window but that’s an example of the amount of heat coming through double glazed glass.
“Years ago some of the flats used to have a balcony but that’s all been blocked in to save money. We have fans that don’t work that aren’t maintained.”
During his time as councillor back in 1999, Peter spoke to the Sheffield Star to express his concerns about the number of vulnerable people that were being moved into high-rise flats.
He claims the problem has only gotten worse over the years, adding that the facilities are not suitable for vulnerable people.
He has complained that window locks in high-rise flats can be overridden by tenants and has pointed to two deaths from falls in the past three years.
Mr MacLoughlin wrote to director of housing James Clark earlier this year: “As a long-term tenant, I am deeply dissatisfied with the council’s reliance on the upcoming, or partially completed, external consultant Baily Garner window safety review.
“The reliance on this external report is unacceptable given the urgent nature of window safety.”
Mr MacLoughlin also expressed frustration at the lack of communication he is getting back from senior figures, explaining that he only ever receives emails or letters of acknowledgement rather than what he deems to be a suitable response.
He added: “It’s dreadful, all I feel like I get is an acknowledgement that they’ve received my emails. But never a proper response with any action.”
Mr MacLoughlin, who stayed in London in a hotel earlier this week, added that there’s no comparison between where he stayed and where he’s currently living.
In an open letter published in The Star last week, he wrote: Mr MacLoughlin: “I would love to see some of our top-paid senior managers and politicians try to survive for a year in the rotten tower blocks which some Sheffielders are forced to call home. They wouldn't cope, but then they shouldn't have to—and neither should anybody”.
When turning his attention back to those comments, he summarised: “I’m not asking for the luxury I had at a hotel in London, just proper ventilation.
“Members of the public get treated like they don’t matter. I feel as if I’m resurrecting the same concerns I was discussing 40 years ago - none of it ever changes.”
Sheffield City Council said: “We understand the frustrations of residents dealing with the extreme heat experienced recently in their homes and the concerns they may have.
“Our Housing, Building Safety and Repairs teams do everything they can to deal with issues that arise across our large and varied housing portfolio. Unfortunately, we can't provide specific details on causes and solutions relating to each case while they are still being worked on, but will make details available when we have agreed solutions with tenants.
“We always welcome our tenants informing us of issues that affect their living conditions so that we can work on finding a solution for them. If any of our tenants have concerns, we urge them to make our Housing officers aware so that we can start working towards a suitable solution.”