These pictures show the deleterious impact black mould has had on a council house.
By Bill Heaney
West Dunbartonshire’s Labour-controlled council is bracing itself for what could be thousands of damages claims from tenants for their health being harmed by prolonged exposure to hazardous black mould in their homes.
Environmental sensors aimed at recording damp and mould have been installed – or are in the process of being fitted – in more than 10,000 homes from January this year when the council announced its plan to tackle the problem.
The technology works by tracking data on air quality, humidity and other environmental factors, with the Council able to use the insight to plan any required works.
But there has been no announcement about how and when work on eradicating the problem will begin or about the source of the money to do that and tenants such as some of those in Risk Street in Dumbarton town centre are continuing to have to suffer with the problem.
The message from affected tenants to the council is that they should fix the problem and cease to squander money monitoring it.
This is despite the fact a council spokesperson said at the time: “It means work can be undertaken at the earliest possible stage, and allows the Council to proactively plan for energy efficiency improvements while tackling issues including damp, mould and fuel poverty across the area.
“Sensors can be retro-fitted to homes with minimal disruption to tenants, and operate from a sim card so do not rely upon tenants’ internet connection.
“And the sensors allow tenants to track the data about their own home through an app, with additional support and guidance from the Council.”
Tenants will hardly require sensors to tackle the problem which they have to put up with day and daily, some of them for many years.
Councillor Gurpreet Singh Johal, Convener of Housing and Communities, said six months ago: “None of our tenants should be living in a home that is affected by damp or mould and these new sensors will allow us to access information on the fabric of each home easily so we can take action quickly to resolve.
“Not only that, we will have data to track the problem and help us identify what the best approach to resolve it will be.
“This is the biggest roll out of this type of sensor in Scotland and I am proud that West Dunbartonshire’s approach to dealing with damp and mould is not only leading the way, but addressing the problem in an efficient and proactive manner.”
Pride comes before a fall however and local tenants could do what people similarly affected in other areas have done and get in touch with their solicitors with a view to suing them.
A council media release said: “The approach is one of a variety the Council is taking to ensure any instances of damp or mould are tackled quickly and effectively, as agreed at a meeting last year.
“Other action being taken include a revised process for dealing with concerns about damp and mould in properties, which will see dampness inspections carried out a maximum of two days after an issue is raised.
“Any repairs required following inspection will be categorised as urgent and carried out within 10 working days, with follow up visits to determine whether the household has additional support needs including financial assistance.
“A proactive, customer focused approach will ensure that information on the personal circumstances of each household is available and is taken into account when solutions are determined.
“After repairs have been completed, a further inspection will be undertaken within 60 days to ensure no further action is required.”
However, the Council refuse to answer questions from The Dumbarton Democrat as to whether this is actually happening, how much it is costing and if so what stage it has reached so far.
Councillor Hazel Sorrell, Vice Convener of Housing and Communities, said at the time: “We have demonstrated how committed we are to tackling any instances of damp and mould in our homes and I hope this action reassures our tenants that it is something we are taking very seriously.
“We want to ensure all cases of dampness or mould are treated quickly and effectively and the environmental sensors will allow us to do that by alerting us when homes are at risk of mould developing and provide us with the insight needed to address it.”
The Herald (Glasgow) reported on Tuesday that dozens of tenants have lodged damages claims for their health being harmed by prolonged exposure to black mould amid calls for tighter legislation in the Scottish Parliament.
Claire Campbell, a partner in Thompson Solicitors which has handled many high profile cases including claims for shipyard workers affected by asbestos related illnesses, is currently handling 81 cases related to black mould.
In the foreground of this picture taken from the air are some of the Dumbarton town centre houses which have been affected with black mould.
More than 90 per cent of the cases relate to tenants in housing association properties, such as Dunbritton, Key and Bellsmyre, which have a large number of properties spread across West Dunbartonshire.
Nearly all of the cases which are at an early stage have been taken on by the legal firm in the past six months.
Ms Campbell is quoted as saying that the problem is becoming worse “with more cases coming in all the time from all over Scotland”.
Black mould is a type of micro-fungus formerly known as Stachybotrys chartarum, which flourishes in damp conditions.
Human exposure is associated with an increased risk of respiratory illnesses such as asthma, skin conditions, allergies, fatigue, headaches and irritation to the eyes, nose and throat.
It can appear as fuzzy black or dark green patches on the walls and has a distinctive smell.
Photographs of tenants pointing at instances of it on the ceilings and walls of their council and SSHA houses have appeared regularly in local newspapers in Dumbarton over a long number of years as tenants who got no satisfaction from the local authority drew attention to the matter publicly.
Housing authorities used lame excuses for it happening and suggested affected families should keep their windows open even in foul weather; that they should keep their heating on even when they struggled to afford the bills and that they shouldn’t dry their clothes inside the house at a time when the use of pulleys was commonplace.
Top of page picture is of (left to right) Cllr Hazel Sorrell, Housing director Peter Barry and Housing committee chairman Gurpreet Singh Johal.