Edinburgh mum left “devastated” after flooding ruins posessions and fittings of new home
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An Edinburgh mum has said she is “devastated” after flooding to her home ruined her possessions and forced her into a hotel for two weeks.
Primary school teacher Kerriann Kerr lives in a flat on Turnhouse Road in the West Craigs development with her two children, aged 19 and 14. She was alerted to flooding in her building by a neighbour on Friday, 6 February. Returning home she discovered that her floor was covered in inches of water, with flooring and her belongings ruined.
Kerriann said: “I was devastated. I'm a full time primary school teacher, and I've paid for every single thing in my house. Everyone who is in that stair has experienced homelessness. I waited five years in temporary accommodation to be offered that home last February, and I've put my heart and soul in it, and everything's come from me. I've had no help whatsoever. So I'm absolutely devastated.”
She said it took almost two hours for fire fighters to access the stopcock, which was located behind a locked door, in order to turn off the water to the properties. However, by then much of the damage had already been done.
Residents were advised to pack a bag of their belongings by housing officers before the electrics at the properties were turned off for repairs to take place, with many possessions left in the water.
She explained: “I packed my stuff. But my son, who is 19 was working at the time, so I had to phone him. I packed my stuff, and my whole car was full of just random stuff. I didn't know what I was going to need. And then I just had to leave everything else soaking in the water.”
Two weeks later, the residents are still waiting to return to their properties and have limited access in the meantime.
There is particular consternation due to damage done to flooring in the property, which Kerriann paid £3000 to have laid. She claims neither Wheatley or CCG have assessed the potential damage to the flooring and the floor it sits on, which she said she has repeatedly asked them to check.
Kerriann said: “Neither Wheatley Homes nor CCG have made direct contact with me regarding the replacement of damaged flooring or compensation for personal belongings destroyed during the flood. Even more concerning is that Wheatley Homes are now attempting to move residents back into their properties without repairs being fully completed or suitable replacement flooring installed.”
A Wheatley Homes spokesperson said it has opened an investigation into the leak and that its teams were on site as soon as the issue was reported and have been working closely with the affected tenants.
They added: “Staff have stayed in regular contact with customers to keep them updated while specialist teams carried out the necessary drying out works and repairs. We continue to work closely with our contractor, CCG, and an investigation into the cause is ongoing.
“We’re also speaking with tenants individually about any damage inside their homes and will support them with replacements where required.
“We’d like to once again thank residents for their patience and understanding while the work has been ongoing, with some tenants able to return to their homes from today.”
A CCG Spokesperson commented: “CCG is working closely with Wheatley Group in relation to an issue affecting a block of eight homes at Turnhouse Road, identified on 6 February. Our team has been on site since the matter was reported and is delivering the agreed programme of repairs. We recognise the disruption this has caused residents and regret that some households were temporarily displaced. The works are now nearing completion and residents will begin returning to their homes from today.”