Residents say they're 'flooded in' as water rises around housing block

[dutchman]

Tenants want action to stop repeat flooding around the entrance to the building



Residents at a Tile Hill tower block say they are becoming “flooded in” by water steadily rising around the entrance of the building.

Tenants in Ferrers Close are having to wade through water at the front of the estate’s Green Block as rain continues to fall on Coventry.

Large pools have formed outside the entrance and around the sides of the building during the wash-out start to the Christmas break.

Laura Jones, who lives on an upper floor in the block, said: “It’s been like this for 14 years but this is the worst I’ve ever seen it.

“I’m not sure if it’s the drains or the design of the pavement, but every time it rains heavily there is flooding around the front entrance and the side of the block.

"It’s also starting to flood the car park as well. It was already up to the ankles earlier on and it’s still rising above the kerb, going onto the grass and the car park.

“There are people in the block with babies and pushchairs and one lady with a double buggy who can’t go out the front door because of the flooding or the back exit, because her buggy won’t fit.

“It’s a bit of a nightmare because when I take my son to school we have to wade through the water with him in his school clothes.

“We’re being flooded in and I worry about the ground-floor flats as the water keeps rising, I’ve never seen it this close to the door.”

Laura, 23, who lives with her two-year-old daughter and sons aged five and one, claimed that residents have complained to Citizen housing association many times on previous occasions, but the problem has continued.

She said: “Numerous people have complained to Citizen, asking them to sort it out. A lady on the ground floor is constantly reporting it.

“We just want Citizen to fix it so people don’t get trapped inside their homes.”

A spokesperson for Citizen said: “We are sorry to hear about the situation at Ferrers Close.

“The wellbeing of our residents is our upmost priority.

“Earlier this month we completed a repair to unblock a drain at Ferrers Close.

“We were not notified that the flooding had returned due to the recent bad weather.

“Now we are aware, we’ll get this fixed as a matter of urgency.”