Disabled man claims draughty council house on Northumberland coast causing him chronic pain

Neil Wallworth, who lives on the coast near Alnwick, says various issues in his Northumberland County Council bungalow leave the building freezing cold during the winter – and he claims the council have been unwilling to fix the problems.

Neil, who is disabled and suffers from chronic pain when he gets cold, said the problem has been going on for five years and had got so bad he shelled out £540 of his own money to pay for tradesmen to carry out repairs to his fireplace – and has plans to spend even more to carry out other repairs.

However, the council have refuted that the property is “in a state of disrepair”.

A former security guard, Neil broke his neck at work in 2007 and suffers from “chronic pain” that is “aggravated by cold”. In recent winters, he says things have got so bad he has spent the warmer months recovering, only to be thrust back into winter.

He said: “It’s been five years of warfare because the social housing is completely inadequate. I have been paying a lot for energy even before the cost of living crisis – I had just given up.

“My fuel bills were going to be massive and it is damaging my health.

“When I get cold I have horrendous pain. I’m spending all summer recovering only to be plunged back into winter.

“I realised I could see the next five years chasing them, or I can do it myself.”

A condition report completed by the county council in 2022 and seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) identified drafts from under the floor in the living room as well as around the fireplace, with a poor seal leaking cold air. The loft insulation was also described as “poor” due to it being boarded out to allow access to a hot water cylinder.

The extractor fan in the bathroom was also not functioning to its full effect. The floor in the hallway was also described as “extremely leaky”.

A council officer carried out an “envelope leakage test” on Mr Wallworth’s property. This is where a powerful fan creates a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the building, forcing area through any breaches of the so-called “building envelope”.

The less air needed through the fan, the more airtight the building is. New build homes have a target of 10m3/hm3 or less – leakage per hour, per square metre of building – while older homes have a target of 15m3/hm3. Mr Wall’s house measured at 21.52 flow.

But despite these issues being identified, the council is yet to carry out any work to improve the situation at Mr Wallworth’s home.

On May 25, Mr Wallworth took action himself, and hired engineers to refit the solid fuel system in his home. The stove was removed and the fireplace and chimney pot were insulated properly, while the stove was refitted with a new seal to prevent leakage.

The previous seal was “withered and perished” to the point of being “completely useless”.

A new chimney top was also fitted that closed a two-inch gap that had been allowing heat to escape. The work, Mr Wallworth said, had “completely changed” the character of the living room and made the stove “about 200%” better.

However, Mr Wallworth still faces other issues. He says his back door needs to be replaced at significant cost, as it has “warped” and allows a significant draft into his home. He says he is now in a “race against time” to have the work completed before winter.

The need for the replacement of the door was confirmed in an email from council officers, also seen by the LDRS.

A former disability rights advocate, Mr Wallworth says he has the skills to deal with the council – but fears for other people who may find themselves in his situation.

He added: “I have all the skills to write letters properly etcetera and I can’t get any headway. It’s soul-destroying because they have got the power.

“It’s just doubling down all the time. I will not submit to their assertions that everything is fine when it clearly isn’t.

“I didn’t spend £540 for nothing – it’s because I’ve got to. All over the country, people are just being driven absolutely mad by bureaucracy.”

Responding to Mr Wallworth’s concerns, the county council has said it is in discussions with him over energy improvements to the home – but has denied the claim that the house is in a “state of disrepair”.

A spokeswoman for the council said: “Following a request by Mr Wallworth we arranged to carry out a Retrofit Survey of his home last autumn to identify any energy improvement measures we could make that would benefit both the property and Mr Wallworth. We are currently trying to seek cooperation from him to agree the next steps in respect of this.

“We refute his claim that the property was in a state of disrepair when he moved in as extensive works had been carried out prior to this. Where repairs are reported, we will attend and look to rectify any issues either through responsive service or planned upgrades.

“The solid fuel appliance has been inspected and surveyed in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations by a HETAS accredited contractor and no remedial actions were identified.”

A meeting between council officials and Mr Wallworth has been scheduled.