Bracknell’s Member of Parliament has responded to the scandal of Bracknell families being without homes since December.
Peter Swallow MP told the Bracknell News that the housing association Stonewater has a duty to the residents of Newlands Place and the current situation is ‘not good enough’.
He said: “This is an appalling situation. I was shocked when residents reached out to me to explain how they had been treated.
“I am continuing to press Stonewater to address this mess. They have a duty to residents to fix this as quickly as possible.”
According to the MP, residents have told him they faced issues with their water supply since late December – there is a dispute over whether the problem began on December 6 or December 29.
Some residents were moved to hotels but the MP’s team was told that the move to hotels has been horrible because residents only get booked one night at a time, so keep having to move rooms or even hotels.
The MP has been told that Stonewater installed a water tank to provide non-potable water, but when this was connected the supply to some other properties abruptly stopped.
Stonewater informed residents the issue was fixed on February 16, but residents confirmed to the parliamentary team that they still did not have water, or their pressure so low that it wasn’t functional.
Peter Swallow MP said: “We are nearly in March, and disruption to the water supply continues.
“Temporary solutions are causing knock-on problems to previously unaffected flats, and families with disabled children have been left without usable running water.
“As soon as I heard about these issues I was in touch with Stonewater, and have made it clear that this situation must be addressed urgently.
“Residents have been kept in the dark about issues, or decanted at short notice while Stonewater has failed to get to the root of problems.
“Others have been left in flats with such poor water pressure that they cannot wash or heat their homes.
“This is not good enough, and in my view falls well below the duty Stonewater has to its residents.”
A spokesperson for Stonewater Housing Association said: “We recognise how difficult the situation at Newlands Place has been for customers,
and we appreciate the patience people have shown while we worked to resolve it.
“The burst of a major underground water main proved far more complex to repair than initially expected, largely due to the building’s intricate infrastructure – something that only became fully clear once works were underway.
“We’re pleased that the issue has now been resolved and water supply has been restored to every home.
“From the outset, our priority was ensuring customers without water had support in place.
“Households were offered alternative accommodation as soon as issues were
reported, including those in shared ownership homes.
“Where options didn’t meet individual needs, we continued searching until supply was reinstated. We have also been covering the cost of bottled water throughout.
“Customers were kept updated regularly by letter, email, text and calls, and we will continue to offer support should further issues be reported.”
