Wood Green tenant lambasts council over year-long wait for windowsill repair

Asalita Misir was left with scaffolding blocking her view for months even while her windowsill was still not being repaired, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Scaffolding left up while a rotting windowsill went unfixed (credit Roxanne Misir)

A Wood Green resident says she feels “disregarded and ignored” by Haringey Council after being left with a rotting windowsill for over a year.

Asalita Misir was left with scaffolding blocking her view for months and was unable to open her windows even during the summer heatwave because she feared someone could climb up and get into her home.

She first reported the rotting windowsill in June last year, and scaffolding was finally installed around her home twelve months later.

But the repair – which she was told would take only one day to complete – has still not been done, and was scheduled for 19th December. While she was left fearing for her safety, she said the council had ignored many of her complaints.

Asalita said: “I am 85. I have not lived without problems. I have never had a problem sleeping, and this has disturbed my sleep.

“I feel disregarded, ignored and that they [the council] hold me in contempt.”

Asalita said she was told that the work could not be done last year because of a lack of scaffolding, yet she could still be left waiting until December for the windowsill to be fixed.

“It is a safety issue for me,” she explained. “Someone could climb up and get in.”

Asalita said she contacted her local MP Catherine West after the council failed to respond to her complaints. Eventually, the council told the MP the work would be done on 19th December. “They [the council] did not even have the courtesy to write to me,” she added.

The scaffolding was finally removed from the house on 23rd October. Asalita believes it was taken down because she contacted the media as a last resort. However, she still does not know when her windowsill will be repaired.

The council upheld a stage one complaint over its failure to complete the repair, but Asalita said they last heard anything about the stage two complaint she had made on 4th July.

Sarah Williams, Haringey Council’s cabinet member for housing services, private renters, and planning, said: “We fully understand the stress and inconvenience this has caused Asalita Misir and her family. The repairs should have been resolved much sooner, and we want to apologise for the poor communication and mistakes made.

“The scaffolding was erected in June 2023 to both undertake roof repairs, which have been completed, and replace the window. Unfortunately, our contractor experienced problems sourcing the window, but we have now instructed another company so there are no further delays.”

Cllr Williams said the council was investing £5million the improve the management and maintenance of its housing stock, with a “complete overhaul” of the repairs service set to ensure “tenants do not have to wait long periods for issues to be resolved and we can provide a high-quality service that our residents deserve”.

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