Angry tenants hit out over 'squalid' conditions at flats

Angry tenants have hit out at council chiefs for leaving them in “squalid” conditions at their homes in Renfrewshire.

Elderly and disabled residents at high amenity flats in Barrhead Road, Paisley, have been left surrounded by overflowing bins, many of which are full of incontinence pads.

Seagulls are now ripping into the bags and residents have at times been forced to pay an external service to wash out the bins, since the council has refused to provide extra ones or up collections.

Meanwhile, the car park has become overgrown with weeds and maintenance staff have failed to fix a fence with a gaping hole in it for around a year and a half.

Drunken louts have been able to access the flats through the giant gap and scare vulnerable residents by banging on the windows.

On top of this, many residents are struggling to get their laundry done while having to share just two rusted washing lines between 15 flats.

And a device that is meant to purify the air inside the properties has been left broken for weeks on end, meaning people have to open their windows and let exhaust fumes in from the main road.

Broken fence: Drunken louts have been able to access the flats through the giant gap. LDRS

Liz Kennedy, 67, has lived at the complex for nearly eight years and said residents feel like “the forgotten pensioners of Barrhead Road”.

“It’s shocking the conditions we are living in. I’d describe them as squalid,” she said.

“It’s making us all miserable. We feel neglected by the council at times.

“We have been waiting a year and a half for the fence to be repaired. There must’ve been about 40 calls made to the council between us.

“We have bins overflowing which smell awful because some residents have to wear pads. Seagulls are now ripping up the bags as well.

“The car parks have never been weeded. I have got a thistle outside which is about six feet tall.

“We have a communal garden and me and my neighbour have been doing the upkeep. We’ve had a request for a water pipe denied three times so we are having to go up and down with watering cans which is a struggle.

“It’s also a struggle to get the washing out some days with the two rusted whirligigs that we have between us all.

“We feel like we are hitting our heads against a wall. What is the point in paying rent?”

The windows at the front of the building have allegedly not been cleaned for over a year and again, residents have had to fork out their own cash for a private service.

Complaints have also been made about several lights not working inside and outside.

Moira Adam, 73, who was startled by drunks knocking on her windows, said: “I live right at the bottom and I feel quite vulnerable with the fence missing because I’m on my own as well.

“I’ve complained about it many times and just never got anywhere.

“Drunken people have gotten through before and knocked on my windows before disappearing into the night. It was very scary.”

A council spokesman said: “Our teams work hard to support all our tenants and carry out repairs as quickly as possible when reported.

“We’re working with the tenant to address issues at the property and will aim to resolve these as soon as we can.”

By local democracy reporter Steph Brawn