A MAN says the ceiling of his new-build property sags so much the lampshade touches his head.
Bryan Iveson moved into his Driffield flat, which was built by Bellway and rented out through Wakefield District Housing (WDH), in November 2020.
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He says he started noticing problems not long after.
It started off as small marks on the ceiling, which WDH initially put it down to “settlement cracks”, Bryan claimed.
The cracks continued to grow and, 18 months on, the ceiling is held up by steel “acrow” props.
When contacted this week, Bellway said it was taking immediate action to fix the problem.
Bryan, 60, said: “It’s just that constant worry of not knowing if it will fall or not. I’m scared to sleep at night in case the ceiling comes down.
“Both me and my wife have serious health problems and it’s another stress that we don’t need, but I’ve reached tipping point and I just want out of this situation.”
The former labourer claimed that a plasterer who visited three weeks ago was surprised when he examined the state of the ceiling, which allegedly appeared to be “floating” on the edge of the walls.
Bryan said: “I understand that things can go wrong in properties, but I didn’t expect this from a new-build.
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“Bellway even sent out a subcontractor to me yesterday, but they were as shocked as me and are coming back to cut more holes so they can try to rehang the ceiling frame.”
The ceiling at the Wolds View flat allegedly sagged so low that a lampshade touched Bryan’s head.
Bryan said he had discovered that the same piece of ceiling covered all three rooms in his property, and he was worried that the damage would only get worse.
He added: “It’s so unnerving being in this house – it’s like walking on a tightrope between a bridge and building.”
Bryan and his wife both suffer from physical health problems and he said the situation had left him feeling exhausted.
Both me and my wife have serious health problems and it’s another stress that we don’t need, but I’ve reached tipping point and I just want out of this situation.
Bryan Iveson
“My wife’s got a bad heart and I’m falling apart with my physical conditions.
“So much is going wrong in my life that a falling ceiling is the last thing I need especially as I’m waiting to hear about a spinal operation,” he added.
Bellway has since responded to the situation by issuing an apology to the tenant and a promise to fix the problem.
The developer claimed it was only alerted to the problem by the housing association last week.
The company said: “Bellway is sorry to hear of the issue relating to the ceiling at a property at Welbourn Gardens.
“We were first alerted to this issue last week when Wakefield District Housing Association contacted us and have taken immediate action in response.
Know your rights
Renters who are concerned they may be affected by poor quality housing should complain to the Housing Ombudsman.
Housing secretary Michael Gove is cracking down on landlords who are failing tenants ahead of the new Social Housing Bill becoming law next year.
Mr Gove has asked solicitors to tell social housing tenants that the Ombudsman should be their first route for reporting issues.
He added it is unacceptable for landlords to let legal proceedings delay repairs being made.
Ombudsman services are free of charge and residents are now able to bring complaints directly themselves.
The new Social Housing Bill will become law next year, giving housing providers “nowhere to hide”, Mr Gove said.
“A contractor attended the property on April 3 to assess the situation and remedial works are due to be completed by April 6.
“The plastering contractor who installed the ceiling confirmed that the issue was caused by failure of the plugs used to secure the suspended ceiling to the concrete failing.
“This is a rare and isolated incident and the remediation action being taken will address the issue.
“We offer our sincere apologies to the residents for the inconvenience and distress caused.”
WDH stated that initial cracks were reported in February 2022, when it was believed that the problem was caused by plaster settlement.
But when Mr Iveson reported the crack in his living room ceiling, WDH attended the property to inspect it, and an interim fix was done the next day.
Ian Penn, the service director for development, said: “Our priority is ensuring our customers are safe in their homes.
“We have carried out an interim repair to Mr Iveson’s ceiling so that it is safe, and we are aware that Bellway will be attending this week to complete a permanent repair.”
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