COUNCIL HAS HUNG US OU T T DRY
Elderly residents put through wringer
Angry pensioners living in a Cambuslang tower block say South Lanarkshire Council has washed its hands of their laundry facilities by ignoring complaints about broken equipment for more than a year.
Just one solitary working dryer serves Sherry Heights’ 72 flats and raging residents say they are forced to dry wet clothes, towels and bed sheets in their homes – causing dampness and condensation and ultimately affecting their health.
Not only has a faulty dryer been out of commission for more than 12 months – the outraged OAPs claim someone has nicked its door and fitted it to another dryer in a neighbouring block. Now elderly tenants are demanding action after local yobs began gaining access to the tower block through its broken main door to vandalise and loiter in communal areas, including the laundry room.
And they have issued the council with a demand: “Get your finger out and do something about this.”
Angry pensioners in a Cambuslang tower block say South Lanarkshire Council has washed its hands of their vital communal laundry facilities by ignoring complaints about a broken tumble dryer for more than a year.
Because only one working dryer serves the block’s 72 flats, raging residents in Sherry Heights say they are forced to dry wet clothes, towels and bed sheets in their flats – and that’s causing dampness and condensation, and ultimately affecting their health.
Not only has the faulty dryer been out of commission for months on end, someone has stolen its door and reportedly fitted it to another dryer in a neighbouring block.
Now, elderly tenants are demanding action after local yobs began gaining access to the tower block through its broken main door to vandalise and loiter in communal areas, including the laundry room.
Sherry Heights tenant Joe O’Neill’s wife, Myra, is a carer for her 84-year-old mother, Catherine King, who is disabled and uses a wheelchair.
The nature of her mum’s disability means that Myra is constantly washing bedding.
But when she goes to the laundry on the ground floor of the block, the only operational dryer is frequently in use.
“Damp washing is causing dampness and condensation in the house,” said grandfather-of-three, Joe, 64, who claims that the laundry appliances were recently replaced by the council at neighbouring Rosebank Tower.
“We get steamed up windows. We’ve all had coughs and chest infections, which don’t seem to be clearing up – and with wet washing around, that’s why. You can’t dry washing on the veranda in the winter and there’s no space for a machine in the kitchen. You’d need to take out a cupboard.”
Margaret Feeney, who is a carer for her 92-year-old dad, James McDermott, says that having access to only one operational dryer in the laundry – which has three working washing machines – is a major inconvenience.
She says that there’s speculation that the local authority is to stop maintaining and replacing faulty laundry appliances with a view to closing the communal facility.
“That frightens the life out of me,” admits Margaret, 63, who says drying items indoors is not a option for her because her dad has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“I do a washing every day for my dad. The dryer has not been working for over a year.
“They did try to get parts for it.
“As far as I know, it has
I do a washing every day for my dad – he is 92 and suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The dryer has not been working for over a year. Margaret Feeney
Damp washing is causing dampness and condensation in the house. We get steamed up windows. We’ve had coughs and chest infections which don’t clear up and the wet washing is why. Joe O’Neill
now been condemned and we need a new one.
“But they say they have no money.
“When you phone, they cannot say it will never be replaced – but they cannot say when.”
Margaret says that when her parents moved into Sherry Heights 28 years ago, they were told washing machines were not permitted in the flats due to the risk of flooding.
Resident Elaine Page, who has lived in Sherry Heights for five years, says local youths know the security entry code to the laundry room, where they frequently hang out.
She claims the council told her it’s the caretaker’s job to keep youths out by changing the code and communicating it to tenants.
But their caretaker is on holiday – and his stand-in doesn’t know how to change the combination.
“They don’t listen to the caretaker and they don’t listen to us,” fumed Elaine, 61. They just pass the buck.” Great gran Margaret Trayner, 85, says having only one tumble dryer is a major headache.
And her message to the council is blunt and to the point: “Get your finger out and get something done about this.”
Tenants say that the council ought to have factored in space and plumbing for washer/dryers when they replaced kitchens in the block around seven years ago.
“They did a grand job when they were doing the kitchen, but to accommodate a washing machine now, you would need to rip the whole thing out,” said one 70-year-old man, who asked not to be named.
“The cost of buying a washer dryer for every flat would be expensive.
“Why don’t they just pay for repairs to what’s already there?
“What’s the point of supplying stuff if all you can do is go in and look at it? It’s a bit stupid, as far as I can see.”
Daniel Lowe, executive director of housing and technical resources, said: “Laundry facilities are provided across a number of tower blocks in South Lanarkshire.
“Tenants and owners can access the service in Sherry Heights, which provides both washing and drying facilities, and a timetable is in place for each resident.
“There are no plans to stop providing these services, for which there is no charge currently levied.
“One of the dryers available at Sherry Heights is no longer serviceable and parts from this have been used to keep equipment in another tower operational, ensuring that residents in both towers continue to have access to laundry facilities.
“The council is aware that the front entrance door requires to be repaired and this is expected to be completed by Friday, March 1.”