'We’ve lived in constant darkness for 7 years thanks to nightmare scaffolding'

Residents of a block of flats in Islington, north London, claim their safety is compromised and they are living in perpetual darkness due to scaffolding that has been in place for seven years. The scaffolding was initially installed on the properties in Colebrooke Rowe in 2018 when Peabody, the housing association, planned to replace the block's windows. However, seven years later, the wooden planks and metal poles remain.

Anna Hollister, 68, a long-term resident of the block, described the situation as "a living nightmare" and said it was negatively impacting her mental health. Another resident complained of being unable to see anything from his flat. Peabody announced this week that it aims to complete the work as soon as possible.

Ms Hollister expressed her frustration, saying: "It's just a living nightmare. I know there are people that are much worse off than we are - but it's ridiculous, to have scaffolding outside our homes for this long. And I am living in constant darkness unless I have the lights on all day and all night. It really is affecting my mental health."

She suspects that Peabody is delaying the work in the hope that residents will move out, stating: "It feels like they're waiting for us all to move out so they can sell the properties on. The amount of money they've spent on scaffolding over these years - they could have done the work three times over."

She also relayed troubles within her flat due to the structure, highlighting that contractors created a substantial "3ft hole" in her ceiling which remains unfixed beneath a mere plastic covering.

Abdul Salah, another tenant, echoed worries about security risks resulting from the omnipresent scaffold, saying it obstructs his view entirely and facilitated an attempted break-in at a neighbour's home.

To the Islington Tribune, he complained: "We can't see downstairs. We can't see the cars. We can see nothing. People are walking up the scaffolding. The police have been here three times. Someone climbed up and tried to break the windows in my neighbour's flat while she was sleeping at 8am. It's not safe." Meanwhile, Salah noted rent hikes by Peabody despite the unsolved issues.

In their defence, Peabody admitted the delay in repairs—for which the scaffolding went up—conceding that the process had "taken longer than they would have liked". Peabody's representatives extended an apology to local residents for the prolonged presence of the scaffolding.

A spokesperson said: "We sympathise with residents and share their frustrations over the length of time the scaffolding has been up. Our aim has always been to make the repairs as soon as possible but it has not been straightforward."

The spokesperson added: "The building is Grade II Listed and sits within a conservation area, meaning any changes must be made in conjunction with English Heritage and with planning permission from the council. The work also requires the agreement of everyone who owns a home in the building."

Acknowledging the long wait, they said: "This has all taken longer than we would have liked and we're very sorry. We're aiming to do the work as soon as possible. Meanwhile, we'll continue to consult with residents and are keen to resolve any outstanding issues they may have."

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