Portsmouth adopts a new policy for damp and mould in council homes after tragic death of Awaab Ishak

Portsmouth City Council has adopted a new policy for managing damp and mould to protect council tenants’ health. The policy will ensure that property inspections are complete within 14 days of an issue reported by a resident. It also stresses the importance of diagnosing the cause of the damp and guarantees that each repair is followed up within six months.

Steve Groves, the council’s head of building maintenance, said: “It is important that we act promptly to protect our tenants’ health and the government has issued various guidance alongside the ombudsman about how local authorities should manage damp and mould.”

Councillor Cal Corkery said it’s “encouraging” to see the policy come forward and pointed towards a “big change in approach over the last couple of years across the sector”. “Too many times serious issues were just dismissed as lifestyle problems, not particularly by PCC but across the sector,” he added.

Councillor Darren Sanders, cabinet member for housing and tackling homelessness, described the policy as “absolutely crucial” not just for the housing service but for anyone who visits a council home. He then spoke about the tragic death of Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old child who died in 2020 from a severe respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in a one-bedroom flat in Rochdale.

Cllr Sanders added: “The reason we’re here is because a coroner in Rochdale found that an infant had died as a result of damp and mould and told the government what are you going to do about it. Coroners have that power and that’s why the government has been scrambling around trying to find a solution. It is really important because we’re keeping our tenants safe – it is absolutely crucial that they are entitled to as safe a life as possible. This is a comprehensive approach. The situation is quite good as far as the local authority is concerned – but one person with damp and mould is one too many.”