‘Sometimes I sit here and I just cry – I break down’
TOWER RESIDENT SAYS HIS FLAT HAS BECOME INFESTED WITH MOULD AGAIN
FABIO Freemantle has faced his fair share of struggles living in Adair Tower, in North Kensington.
Mr Freemantle was the last person to exit the 13 floor tower when it caught fire in October 2015, an experience that left him traumatised and suffering from PTSD.
Three years later, work on the tower where he lives on the top floor led to water leaking into his studio flat, which damaged its contents and caused damp and mould to build up along the walls.
The 36-year-old said the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) initially rectified the issue in his flat, removing the mould and reimbursing him for the TV and clothing damaged by the water.
A year later, however, he said the mould has returned even worse and he has been left to deal with it on his own.
He said: “There’s a lot of mould in my property. There are cracks in the ceilings – it’s just very unpleasant.
“I’ve got medical symptoms and I don’t think anyone should be living this way.
“It has been a big impact on my life. I never thought I’d be living in a condition like this.
“From my young age to adulthood I’ve never experienced this. I haven’t got millions in the bank to go tomorrow and get a house. I work, I do my hardest to survive. I complain to RBKC but every time I complain to RBKC it’s like they’re not taking it seriously.”
Mr Freemantle, who also suffers from asthma, said the mould in his flat has worsened his condition and has had to update his prescription since it began.
He has lived in Adair Tower for 15 years – a home provided for him by the council after he was physically attacked, leaving him very vulnerable.
Since then, however, he said it has been problem after problem in the flat.
When he first moved in, Mr Freemantle found crack pipes hidden in one of the closets. He was later informed by neighbours that his flat was a “famous” crack den that abseiling police raided after bursting through from the roof.
“People are surprised I haven’t committed suicide. Sometimes I sit here and I just cry – I break down,” Mr Freemantle said.
Due to a lack of urgency from RBKC to resolve the issue, Mr Freemantle, who works as an apartment concierge, said he has began legal action against the council and says his home now feels so inhabitable he can no longer invite people over.
He said the council surveyors who came to inspect the flat suggested he had been throwing liquids on the wall, which had caused the water stains.
He has now had his legal team bring surveyors to his flat who have also expressed concern about his living conditions.
Mr Freemantle says he has no other choice.
He said: “They [RBKC] think that we’re rubbish that’s why they don’t want to give us the service. People work very hard, it shouldn’t be to a point where people don’t care – it’s so sad.
“Because of my profession I know how to handle it.
“If I didn’t know how to handle it I would end up throwing my self over the balcony.”
A spokesperson from RBKC said: “We fully investigate any issues of mould reported to us, including surveying the cause and extent of the problem, carrying out necessary works and providing professional advice on how residents can prevent it from reoccurring.
“Everyone deserves to live in a safe, healthy home and we encourage residents to report any issues directly to us so that we can take appropriate action and resolve them as swiftly as possible.”