Derbyshire housing group leaves poorly pensioner without hot water for weeks

Carol Middleton, 72, who lives at Denefields Court in Matlock, first contacted social landlord Platform Housing Group on December 9 to report that she had been without heating and hot water for several days.

She was told it would be fixed as a priority within 24 hours but, as of January 15, Carol was still having to boil a kettle to bathe – a sizeable task given she has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – and had to move out temporarily during the pre-Christmas cold snap.

Brother Neil Walsh, who is handling the matter for Carol, said: “When no one came to fix it in the first two weeks, we brought Carol to stay with us in Priestcliffe, just to give her a break.

“She got a call from Platform’s contractor on December 23, saying they were at the property and wanted to get in. They hadn’t given any notice, and refused to agree another date when she could be in.”

He added: “We’ve tried calling Platform again and again. You get stuck in a queue and then cut off. The warden at Denefields Court was kind enough to lend Carol portable heaters, and has contacted Platform too, but they still haven’t done anything.”

While the problem with Carol’s heating appears to have resolved itself, her home remains without hot water so she has been travelling to Priestcliffe when she wants a proper shower.

While Carol has been a resident of the retirement living complex for 12 years and never encountered a major issue before, Neil believes the situation is symptomatic of wider problems at Denefields, which was managed by Dales Housing Association until its 2017 merger with Platform’s predecessor Waterloo Housing.

Neil said: “I’m told the warden has handed in her notice as she’s getting fed up with so many complaints going unanswered.”

Contacted for this story, Marion Duffy, chief operations officer at Platform, said: “We are sorry to hear about our customer's concerns. Unfortunately, we have been unable to access Mrs Middleton's home on numerous occasions but are more than happy to arrange a further visit should she wish to contact us.”

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