Quayside Court residents in Lakenheath furious over ‘ludicrous’ heating and hot water issues

Residents at a housing complex in a Suffolk village are furious after suffering for years with heating and hot water issues.

Carlton Read, 60, of Quayside Court in Lakenheath, said there have always been problems during the winter months at the development, which is run by Samphire Homes.

A spokesperson for the housing association apologised and said although there had been challenges at the complex, the necessary repairs had now been completed.

Carlton and his wife Helen, 60, are the youngest residents at the block of 21 properties, where a number of people are elderly or have medical conditions.

Since moving into Quayside Court in July 2019, the couple, as well as other residents, have experienced persistent issues where they are left with no heating or hot water.

“It’s the same every single year and we are furious with it,” Carlton said.

“If my wife has a shower then I can’t as the heating just goes. It’s absolutely ludicrous and it is incredibly frustrating to still be dealing with this.

According to Carlton, the ground source heating, which was installed six years ago, has failed every year in the winter months.

Carlton fears the situation could lead to Legionnaires’ disease, which is a lung infection people can get from inhaling droplets of water from facilities such as air conditioning and despite it being uncommon, it is very serious.

“The people here are aged in their low 70s to their early 90s,” Carlton said.

“My next door neighbour has cancer and the other has Alzheimer's and dementia. One resident in her 90s, she’s said to me she’s unhappy and she’s not dealing well with it all.

“I am genuinely very afraid and extremely concerned for the residents here now. They are at severe risk and it is completely wrong.”

Residents have been given electric heaters and immersion heaters but the system in place is unable to cope with supplying heating as well as hot water.

A Samphire spokesperson said: “We completely understand the frustration and disappointment customers felt during the recent heating and hot water issue at Quayside Court and we sincerely apologise for any distress this caused.

“During the time the heating system was not fully operational, heating was still being delivered, albeit at a slightly reduced rate, and hot water was provided to each home via individual immersion heaters. While this ensured customers had some level of service, we know it was not the standard they expect or deserve.”

The spokesperson said the repairs have now been completed and both the heating and hot water systems are fully operational.

They added: “We recognise there have been some challenges on site in the past, but the heating system has been operating effectively in recent years.

“Like any building, ongoing maintenance is a normal part of ensuring smooth operation, and we remain dedicated to addressing any underlying issues to ensure customers can rely on a consistent and dependable service.

“We greatly appreciate customers' patience and understanding during this time. Our teams will continue to monitor the system closely and will keep customers informed.”