Stockport Homes apologised and said the problem has been completely fixed.David Deakin fell on leaking water in his apartment block last year.
David Deakin worries every time he has to leave his apartment.
In April last year, the dad of two slipped on water which had leaked into the lift in Conway Towers in Brinnington, Stockport.
He was going down from the tenth floor to collect a pizza for his sons when it happened, but more than 12 months later he says he can’t straighten his arm fully.
The building is owned by Stockport council and managed by Stockport Homes, but David says there have been water leaks in the main entrance area for months, leaving the carpet and floors soaking wet.
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“We’re actually squelching in the water sometimes, it’s that bad,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
“The fall has affected me, I’m more worried [about going out] than I was before, and I’m not as active.
“I’m 59 but there are some elderly people here and kids who go running about. There should be something done about it, we shouldn’t have to put up with this.”
Stockport Homes apologised and said the problem has been completely fixed.
A spokesperson said: “We’re sorry that some of our residents are feeling let down and we understand why. When issues are reported, we aim to respond on the same day (and often do) whenever possible.”
Conway Towers are owned by the council and managed by Stockport Homes.
The social housing provider added that its team attended to the leak within agreed response times, and that investigations identified the issue in a heating system within a flat.
Some in the building were worried it could have been waste water or sewage, but Stockport Homes confirmed this was not the case, and there was no environmental risk.
It said the issue has now been repaired and it is monitoring the situation closely.
But the problem has upset some people living in the block who feel let down.
The carpet has been left soaking wet with water after leaks.
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David contacted the LDRS out of frustration that the leaks kept coming back.
When he slipped last year, he said he couldn’t go straight to A&E because he had his sons to look after.
It was the next day that he managed to see a doctor about the injuries.
“All my shoulder was done in and I had bruising down my arm, it’s still sore now,” he added.
“Stockport Homes never put any signs out when it’s wet down here, only when they’re cleaning. It’s happening every few months, I see it when I come down and step out of the lift, the smell is not nice.
“I’ve contacted Stockport Homes so many times about this but we just get fobbed off.”
The tower block is based in Brinnington, Stockport.
Melanie is another resident in the block and has lived there for nine years.
She said: “It leaks all the time down here, the worst was about a week ago, it was so bad.
“My little girl has a fear of water, I had to pick her up to get around it. This has been happening for years, it just keeps happening and happening. Stockport Homes don’t care about us.”
A Stockport Homes spokesman stressed that it has fully acknowledged the distress caused to David for the fall, and that it takes incidents like this extremely seriously.
The building was built in the 1960s, and it said leaks happening over several years may not have been part of the same issue.
It also added that when leaks have been reported, it tries to tackle them on the same day to minimise any risk or inconvenience to residents.
Their spokesperson added: “We’re actively monitoring the situation and will continue to keep residents updated through our usual channels.
“We’re committed to getting this right and to ensuring Conway Towers remains a safe and comfortable place to live.”