Woman, 79, tells of flood damage fear

A PENSIONER claims she is at her wits’ end after repeat flooding damaged her home and the housing association responsible failed to act.

Phyllis Anderson, 79, who has arthritis in both her hips, said the ground outside her home on Dalmahoy Drive floods every time it rains, leaving her with a damp smell in her dining room.

Although Phyllis owns her own home, the ground outside belongs to Sanctuary Scotland. She said she has contacted the group numerous times to let them know about the flooding.

She said: “Every time there is really heavy rain all the water builds up and builds up.

“On Saturday when it was really battering down it was getting worse, and I am frightened it will come into my house soon.

“I have arthritis in both my hips and it is really playing up at the moment.

“Two sides of my home is surrounded in flood water and it is soaking and cracking all the bricks and the underneath is all crumbling so I am beginning to get worried.

“It is a big problem and it has been going on for a few years so I am really fed up with it.

“You can smell the damp in the dining room as well because it is against the wall,” she said. “It is like living in a pond.”

Phyllis said despite several calls to Sanctuary regarding the issue, the company has so far either failed to come out to look at the problem,or has not followed up on its promises.

She added: “Sanctuary say they will get in touch but they are never in a hurry to do anything and that really gets on my nerves.

“They will bring people up to have a look and they will say something needs to be done, but they never do it.

“Between this and my arthritis I am not very happy, it really gets me down at times.

“You can’t put cement down because it will just soak off again and we can’t air the bricks out until the ground gets sorted properly.

“It’s not my bit of ground so why should I do it?” she said.

“But if they don’t I suppose I will have to do it myself.” Alex Kerr, operations manager for Sanctuary Scotland, said the company is planning to visit Phyllis’s property again this week as part of an attempt to resolve the flooding problem.

He said: “We are aware of this issue and understand the resident’s concerns.

“A further inspection will take place and we will make contact with the resident to let her know what action we are going to take.”