Neil Coyle MP has accused the council of “burying its head in the sand” after a woman was found dead in her Borough flat.
The woman was found deceased on the Tabard Garden Estate on January 6 – likely having died months ago.
An emergency housing officer made the shocking discovery ten months after neighbours warned the council about a leak into her flat, described as being like a “swamp”.
Exclusive: Woman living in “swamp” conditions found dead in Borough flat
Southwark Liberal Democrat Leader Victor Chamberlain called for an ‘urgent report’ into the incident.
And Neil Coyle, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, said: “The council needs to stop burying their heads in the sand.
“They need to work out if they could have done more to fix those jobs sooner and whether they’re aware of any other opportunities to prevent these tragic circumstances.”
Father-of-two Jeffrey Boachie-Frimpong, 35, who lives below the woman’s flat, said he first contacted the council on March 6, 2022, when he discovered the lady living in a ‘swamp’.
He had knocked on her door to find the source of a leak pouring into his family home and was ‘gobsmacked’ by the woman’s living conditions.
But despite his warnings, he says the council failed to repair the leak over the next ten months, finally fixing it last week.
Neil Coyle said: “From this case and others involving vulnerable people, sometimes it seems the council switches off rather than intervenes.
“People who can be more difficult to work with and support are left more isolated. That should be avoided at all costs.”
Southwark Council has said it is “deeply saddened” and is “supporting the police in establishing the exact circumstances”.
It is yet to confirm whether the woman was registered as a vulnerable person and she is yet to be formally identified.
Police and coroners were still trying last week to inform her next-of-kin.
In a public statement, Cllr Chamberlain the leader of the opposition in the borough, said the council had “serious questions to answer”.
It is one of the UK’s biggest social landlords, one of the most complained-about boroughs in London and housing is a constant bugbear.
Southwark Council is the eighth most complained about in the UK and housing is a major issue
“Southwark Council have serious questions to answer about their failure to protect this resident and how they respond to concerns about the welfare of tenants,” Cllr Chamberlain said.
He has now called for a report to establish when concerns were first raised and what the council would do to ensure repairs are completed sooner.
Controversially, he also said Southwark Council should name council officers involved in the incident.
“These are dedicated officers employed, and on decent salaries, to specifically address these issues,” he said.
Neil Coyle stopped short of calling for an investigation, saying that they “aren’t free and take time”.
Labour councillors often point out that local authority budgets have been slashed in recent years, impacting the work and resources of housing officers.
A recent report by the Institute for Government think tank found that cuts to neighbourhood services since 2010 have left English councils “hollowed out”.
MP Coyle added: “The council has had very severe financial limitations imposed on it by central government but in these circumstances, and others, it needs to intervene. It needs to do this in its own financial interest. It’s not economically sensible to ignore difficult leaks. It’s certainly not in the human interest.”
Southwark Council has said it cannot comment before the woman is formally identified.
This Borough pub has now closed after over 200 years of serving the community