Lib Dems demand proactive approach to damp and mould in London borough to end Labour’s lacklustre response

The Liberal Democrat opposition in Southwark has submitted a motion to council assembly calling for more action in tackling and preventing damp and mould.

The motion, proposed by group leader Cllr Victor Chamberlain, would commit Southwark to taking proactive steps to identify areas of concern and tackle the causes of damp and mould.

Within the motion, Lib Dems call for improved intelligence sharing, both within the council and with external landlords, in order to identify estates and buildings with persistent damp and mould issues.

Additionally, the motion calls for more repairs action days. These action days have proved hugely popular with residents and led to better engagement with residents and more proactive repairs taking place.

The Liberal Democrat members’ motion will be debated and voted on at the next full council taking place 12^th July.

Last month, the Housing Ombudsman ordered Southwark pay £7,500 for maladministration after leaving a young family with severe damp and mould issues for 17 months.

In 2022, Southwark council received 498 formal complaints relating to damp and mould.

An October 2021 report form the Housing Ombudsman, titled ‘it’s not lifestyle’, ranked Southwark as one of the worst landlords nationally for dealing with damp and mould.

Cllr Chamberlain will also be submitting a members’ question to full council, demanding to know how the council has learned from these failures, and how their response will improve.

Leader of the opposition Cllr Victor Chamberlain, said, “The increased attention on damp and mould as a health and housing issue these past 12 months has exposed Southwark Labour’s appalling record on it.

“There have been multiple high profile cases of mismanagement, malpractice and neglect and yet Labour’s response is still lacking. Southwark needs to move away from a reactive repairs service and instead choose proactive, preventive measures and that is what our motion does.

“This is the best way to protect our residents’ health and guarantee everyone a good quality home.”