Ottery flats staircases crumbling
Crumbling staircases at Ottery's Marble Flats pose a serious hazard, but the City is ignoring pleas to fix them and other defects dogging the council blocks, say residents.
Snags that went unfixed following renovations to the flats in 2011 are coming back to haunt the flats (”Residents still fighting to have snags fixed,“ Southern Mail, May 2018), and apart from the problem staircases, there are cracks in walls, pipes and window frames, say the residents.
Cleo October, who lives on the third floor of Russel Court, said “a huge piece of cement” that broke free from a stairway had narrowly missed a neighbour’s daughter last Sunday.
Ms October said she suffered from anxiety and had heart palpitations whenever she walked on the stairs.
Shanaaz Hendricks, on the second floor of Stewart Court, said pieces had been falling off the stairs for years and in places the iron rebar was now showing.
“A long crack stretched down the side of the stairs is causing a scare,” she said.
The staircases were particularly hazardous for children and the elderly, said the residents.
Zainab Lewis, on the fourth floor of Rina Court, said the rails of their staircase were loose because the screws holding it in place had come out.
Workmanship during the 2011 renovations had been poor with cracks simply cemented and painted over, she said.
Aubrey Harris, on the third floor of Horizon Court, said: “I have a leaking pipe in my bathroom. My walls are affected and paint is perishing, concrete is crumbling and the leaking causes mould. There is water in the ceiling and in the walls, I can’t even paint the walls.”
Other defects residents pointed out included broken doors and window hinges.
Ward councillor William Akim said the defects had been reported to the City housing office so an assessment could be done.
In an emailed response to questions, the City said work was being done at council properties in all areas.
“City teams are prioritising emergency maintenance and repairs. The City’s public housing department is investing in maintenance and repairs of more than R1.2 billion over the next few years in areas across the metro.
“The City urges tenants to please report and follow up on their service requests so that City teams can be deployed to attend to the requests urgently. Due to the large volumes of rental stock, some 45 000 units, the City prioritises repairs based on service requests received, safety and if they are of an emergency nature.
“We encourage residents to approach us for their maintenance and urgent repair needs directly.”
