Families in Byker feel left out in the cold as major heating issues continue for third week

Mick Thompson rents a house just a few streets away on Dalton Crescent, and has also been experiencing problems with his heating since early December.
Mick Thompson has been experiencing problems with his heating since early December. Credit: NCJ Media

Some families in Byker say they are living in "freezing" conditions because of an ongoing heating fault on their estate.Over 1,300 homes on the Byker Estate were cut off from heating and hot water in early December, after a major disruption to the district system.

Residents say the issue is having an impact on their mental and physical health. Temporary boilers were installed and according to Newcastle City Council there have been "no major issues" since December 23.However, some residents are still experiencing incredibly low temperatures and are yet to receive the compensation they were promised to cover the cost of running electric heaters.

Residents are increasingly concerned for their children and other vulnerable people in the area, as a cold snap hits the North East.

Mick Thompson rents a house on Dalton Crescent, and has also been experiencing problems with his heating since early December.From Thursday December 30 to Friday January 7 he recounts having "no heating at all", despite Newcastle Council saying they had restored heat to all Byker estate residents.He is concerned about the "deteriorating" health of his wife, who has rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, heart problems and fibromyalgia.

Mick is concerned about the "deteriorating" health of his wife, who has rheumatoid arthritis, heart problems and fibromyalgia Credit: NCJ Media

The 59-year old said: "My partner has nerve damage and so keeping her a constant temperature is very important, but at the moment, she's having to sleep in cardigans and extra blankets."I'm supposed to be a carer for her and my disabled grandson, but I'm struggling to function in these kind of conditions. My chest has been playing up and it's no surprise seeing as I'm sitting in the cold praying for heat."I'm on income support and my wife is on personal independent payment, so we can't afford to sustain the fan heater we were given to heat up our home. I'm having to make the choice between cutting back on food or cutting back on the heater."Mick said he is concerned about others living in the Byker Wall who are on low income or universal credit, many of whom have children and medical problems.He labelled the situation an "absolute disgrace".

"I've heard mothers crying desperately, my neighbour is confused and there's a 67-year-old I know, living alone, who is absolutely distraught.

Mick Thompson is forced to use blankets and wear a coat inside to keep warm Credit: NCJ Media

"The majority of people I've spoken to are yet to receive any compensation, we've been left to fend for ourselves, and it's totally unacceptable, especially as there is more extreme weather to come."I've been offered for someone from the Trust to come round and feel how stone-cold my radiators are, but instead I'm just told that they are operating correctly or that it's up to district heating to sort."To be made to feel like I'm making things up is confusing and only adds to the stress. I feel physically drained and exhausted."

Mick has been in contact with his local representative, Labour Councillor Nick Kemp, who said he has spoken to a lot of residents whose "initial concern is now turning into anger."

Michelle Bell, the Assistant Director of Byker Community Trust (part of Karbon Homes), said: “In December, we experienced major disruption to the district heating system which resulted in the temporary loss of heating and hot water to over 1,300 homes on the Byker Estate."The system is owned and managed by Newcastle City Council and they have therefore been responsible for getting the system back up and running.“We know this caused a number of problems for our customers and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this disruption caused.“The heating and hot water was restored to all homes by 23 December and as we received updates on progress from Newcastle City Council, we kept our customers informed throughout.“There have been no major supply issues reported by the Council since Christmas and if any customers are still finding issues, I would urge them to report it to us directly on our freephone 0800 533 5442.“We are offering compensation payments to all impacted customers and have informed them of this by telephone, text messages and through our website and social media channels."All customers affected by the temporary loss of heating and hot water are being compensated for the inconvenience caused and their heat charge credited to their rent account for the duration they were without supply.”

Byker primary school had to close because of heating issues. Credit: NCJ Media

A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “Heating and hot water on the Byker Wall Estate were restored to all residents on the December 23 and there have been no additional faults."We are investigating any properties who are still reporting issues following the reinstatement of the main supply and ask if any owner-occupiers, who are served by the council and experiencing issues to contact us directly on 0191 2787878.“We informed residents affected by the disruption that they were entitled to compensation and heating credits for the days they were without heating which will help with the cost of running the temporary heaters we supplied while the repairs were being carried out.

We do not expect residents to be out of pocket for this and are currently processing these payments."“Our colleagues and those at Byker Community Trust, part of Karbon Homes, did everything they could to help keep tenants informed of the situation and apologised for the inconvenience it caused them.

"If there are any other complaints we would ask tenants to contact the Council or Byker Community Trust directly so we can help."