Stannington: Hundreds fear Christmas without hot water or heating after boiler fault at Sheffield tower blocks
Hundreds of residents in three Sheffield blocks of flats have gone without hot water or heating for nearly a week.
The iconic 14-storey towers - Woodland, Cliffe, and Parkside - in the Deer Park area of Stannington are all served by the same boiler, which broke down last Tuesday (December 16).
Now, residents say they have been put through day after day of waiting, with fears they would face Christmas with no heating.
Resident John King said: “It’s very cold. I’ve got five layers on and have all my blankets on the bed.
“You can’t even have a wash or do your dishes.
“We’re all just so fed up of it.”
John confirmed the heating was restored at 8.30pm on Monday (December 22), in what he claims a contractor called a “temporary repair.”
Sheffield City Council said it is “working hard” to fix the issue and had ordered the parts to fix the boiler.
One neighbour living with cancer who has lived in the Woodland building for 17 years claimed the boiler breaks “every winter.”
“It’s like living in a third world country,” she said.
“It’s like this every winter. You can tell when it’s getting colder because that’ when it starts breaking down.
“I have cancer and if I can’t stay warm or wash how am I meant to keep myself from catching bugs or getting ill? If I’m cold, I’m cold - I’m not able to warm up again.
“I’ve been living here for years and every time it breaks down the council has to send off for a specialist part they only make in Germany, because it’s the oldest boiler in Sheffield and was built in the 60s.
“I’m so tired of it.”
The council denied that the shared boiler “breaks down every winter,” but did not answer whether it is ordering parts from Germany.
John, too, was anxious at the risk the cold posed to his health. He said: “I have an abscess on my leg and my doctor says I need to keep it clean. How can I do that without any hot water?”
The Star contacted the council what is being done to fix the boiler in the long run, or upgrade the buildings so they are not all served by a single boiler built over 60 years ago.
Coun Douglas Johnson, chair of the Housing Policy Committee, said: “As a proud social landlord, we fully appreciate how frustrating and upsetting it can be when faults occur that affect the essentials of daily life such as hot water and heating.
“At this time of year when temperatures are lower it is of increased importance boilers are working.
“Our officers work hard to maintain our infrastructure. As soon as we became aware of the fault they have been working to identify and rectify the fault. Hopefully the installation of the new part can be completed as soon as possible so people can get hot water and heating back into their homes as quickly as possible.”