A HASLEMERE man has hit out at Waverley Borough Council, claiming that he and his family have been forced to live in Òunbearable conditionsÓ for more than four years.

Ian Bullen, who lives in a council-owned house in Puckshott Way with his wife and daughter, has blamed the council for taking more than four years to repair damp walls and a leaking roof at his home.

He claims that he was told nearly two months ago by Waverley officers that because of a backlog of council house repairs, and a shortfall in the councilÕs budget, he would have to wait another year until repairs on the house could be completed.

ÒI was shocked and appalled. My family have been living with damp for too long already, and it has definitely affected our health,Ó said Mr Bullen.

He fears that other council tenants in the borough may be suffering from similar problems as a result of the councilÕs housing repair crisis.

ÒThe problems have put the family under so much pressure, for such a long time. To be told we would have to wait another year was very worrying,Ó added Mr Bullen.

He claimed that the trouble started in 1998 when the council removed the cavity wall filler at the house. Since then, Mr Bullen said, the walls had been almost constantly damp.

ÒThe latest wallpaper was only put up two months ago and it is already peeling off, and the walls are still damp. It makes you wonder if its worth bothering to redecorate,Ó said a disheartened Mr Bullen.

He also criticised the repair work carried out on the roof by a Waverley contractor almost two months ago.

ÒWe had been getting water coming through the ceilings and running down the walls, and were getting really worried how this could affect the electrics.

ÒWhen the contractor arrived he went up into the loft for about half an hour, then came back down and told us he had made a temporary repair,Ó claimed Mr Bullen.Ó

The repair, he later discovered, was a piece of wood, which had been ripped off an old wardrobe in the loft and wedged between the beams to cover the hole.

Dismayed by the contractorÕs work, Mr Bullen says he contacted Waverley Borough Council and was told he would have to wait until next year for further repairs to be carried out.

In March of this year, The Herald reported that a housing crisis in Waverley meant 5,700 council-owned properties were waiting for repairs. A Òbest valueÓ report by officers was also presented to councillors in March, stating that an investment of £20 million was required to make urgent repairs to these properties.

The report came out just as council tenants were facing a rent increase of up to 13.9 per cent in the new financial year, and increases in council tax of more than 11 per cent for band D properties.

Mr Bullen said: ÒThe rents go up but the repairs donÕt get done. I just donÕt think this good enough.Ó

He went on to say that rent rebates for the inconvenience caused to his family had never been on offer from the council.

After The Herald reported Mr BullenÕs problem to Waverley last week, a council spokesman said a maintenance contractor would be carrying out a full inspection of the roof today (Friday), and any repair work necessary would be dealt with as soon as possible.