Pontypool mother furious at ongoing mould issues with home

Jade Brown, a 28-year-old living in Pontypool, has been living in her flat for the last three years and has had to deal with a continued issue of mould and damp which has led to maggots, which she says has been caused by neglect from her housing association. 

The flat, at Mynydd Court in Blaendare Road, is managed by Bron Afon, and Ms Brown, who lives in the property with her young child, says it hasn't been in a great condition from the moment they moved in during 2021. 

Jade Brown has had an ongoing mould problem in her flat since she moved in three years ago (Image: Jade Brown) She said: "When we first moved in, I found it had been really roughly decorated, to the point where if I'd had more of a choice, I wouldn't have stayed. 

"Unfortunately, I wasn't in a situation where I was able to be picky about where I lived, and I only want a safe and clean place for my child to live in."

The mould is now posing a health risk to Jade and her child (Image: Jade Brown) According to Ms Brown, the mould issues began shortly after they moved in, and she attempted on several occasions to report the issue to Bron Afon, so they could deal with the problem, however she claims that whenever she spoke to someone at the association, they were "dismissive". 

She added: "No one would accept the responsibility for what was going on and the state of the property. 

"I ended up having to clean the mould myself as my child lives here and my child's father comes here to look after her whilst I'm in work. 

"As a result of this mould, my child has suffered massively with a bad chest and I believe that's completely down to the state of our home."

The paint has begun flaking off the walls in the child's bedroom (Image: Jade Brown) Bron Afon have told the Argus that they have been working closely with Ms Brown to repair her home.

Ms Brown has also had to deal with paint flaking off the walls in her child's bedroom, with further mould appearing in these rooms, causing a health hazard. 

The family have been forced to throw out numerous items of furniture and belongings that they cannot afford to replace due to them being ruined by mould. 

When the flaking paint was reported to Bron Afon, Ms Brown claims she was told the issue was due to poor decorating. 

Ms Brown said: "Bron Afon simply just don't care and never have.

"I've been trying for three years just to get my flat suitable to live in and to make sure myself and my family are safe.

"I can't take pride in my home anymore because of these ongoing issues. 

"We also have to deal with the continual fly-tipping which is beyond disgusting and a massive health risk.

"I find the communal areas of the flats are always filthy and very little effort is made to keep them clean."

Jade says fly-tipping and mould have led to her flat and surrounding areas becoming infested with maggots (Image: Jade Brown)

Bron Afon explained that they have been working closely with Ms Brown to repair her home, and that there had been some access delays, but confirmed that all repairs had now been completed. 

Bron Afon’s Head of Direct Services, Rachel Heward, said that waste disposal is the responsibility of the residents, including arranging replacement bins and recycling boxes from the council. 

She added: "Our Caretaking team attend at least once a week, sometimes more, to deal with excess waste left by residents.

"Sadly, the mess is caused by people not disposing of their waste correctly. Just last week we cleared and cleaned the bin area twice.

"We continue to speak with residents about their responsibility to dispose of rubbish correctly in the bins provided and to let Torfaen Council know if any of these are missing, as bags containing household waste and left beside bins will not be collected by the council.”