Packington estate off Essex Road

RESIDENTS on an estate of nearly 800 homes have told how they have gone weeks without hot water since Christmas.

Housing association Hyde apologised last week for what they described as “intermittent issues” on the Packington estate off Essex Road.

But tenants say the heating and hot water problems are far more extreme than that.

In a letter to the Tribune Milan Dandwani, a student who lives on the estate and suffers with severe iron deficiency and asthma, said they had not had access to hot water since December.

“We have not been offered any support from Hyde until a week ago,” the letter said. “It’s clear that my property agency and building management are taking advantage of us as residents.”

Maria Day, 65, suffers from a disability that affects her mobility.

She said she had gone weeks without water, forcing her to take a shower at her daughter’s flat or wash using a face cloth.

Ms Day said the lack of hot water was particularly difficult when she had to attend early-morning hospital appointments.

“You need to have a shower before you go,” she said. “I had to strip wash with boiled water from the kettle. It was awful.”

Shirely Wheatley similarly has a disability meaning she cannot bend one of her legs.

With no hot water and no access to another walk-in shower, she was also forced to wash using a cloth and boiling water.

She said: “The no heating you can get through, but the lack of hot water has been really bad. It’s been horrendous. I’m really concerned for elderly people. I can get through it, but it must be awful for them.”

Residents said that they felt Hyde had taken far too long to start repairs. They have “no sense of urgency with anything”, claimed one ground floor tenant, who asked to remain anonymous.

Stephanie Nicole Christol, who has been living in the Packington estate since 2019, said: “I think Hyde has been neglectful. Issues have been consistently ongoing since before Christmas. We’ve had letters saying they’re trying to resolve this, but I think they should be doing more.”

Tenants added that Hyde had been unclear about the compensation that might be offered once repairs are complete. Ms Day said she had been offered only around £10 worth of reimbursement.

A spokesperson for Hyde Housing said: “We know this has been a frustrating time for customers and we’re working hard with our contractors to get it fixed permanently.

“Due to a significant leak on the communal system, some customers have unfortunately experienced intermittent issues with their heating and hot water over the last few months.

“The energy centre itself has only been down on two occasions, both for less than 24 hours. The first time was in January for essential repairs in the energy centre, the second was in March when we completed the temporary fix.

“We’ve attempted to contact all customers and where access has been provided, we’ve attended and restored hot water as and when reported to us. We’ve also arranged drop in events – in person and virtual. We’ve provided heaters to customers where they were needed, and worked to support anyone with additional needs.

“We’ll confirm compensation once the permanent repair is completed, meaning we can look at the entirety of the period this has gone on for. We’ve also explained in our letters to customers that we didn’t charge for the water that was lost through the leak.

“We’re sorry for the difficulties customers have faced. We’re ensuring this is resolved as soon as possible.”