Leeds high-rise council tower block 'plagued' with issues including antisocial behaviour and 'urine' on lifts

Residents at Burnsall Grange in Armley have told the YEP of issues including antisocial behaviour, problems with lifts and broken "promises" over plans to install a long-delayed heating system upgrade.

One resident said: "We have been expecting this and paying over £350 a month for electric heating.

"Despite the promises the council has now said that it is being pushed back another year. Ground source heating systems have been installed at most other council blocks though and this has been the straw that has broke the camel's back".

Neighbours raised further complaints and claimed there was daily antisocial behaviour at the 16-storey tower block and issues with drugs.

They also claimed there was a lack of investment in the lifts and other maintenance work that required attention.

The YEP spoke to a group of residents at the high-rise block, who all said they had seen the issues get "worse and worse" over the years.

One dad-of-two, who lives at block, said the building has "long been overdue major replacements of heating systems".

He said: "The installation of the ground source heating system was delayed in summer 2022 and since then residents have been kept largely in the dark.

"It was only the other week that we found out that due to the financial crisis at the council the project has been delayed further to 2025/26.

"What makes matters worse is that the cost of living payments have now come to an end yet residents are either going cold or spending inflated amounts of money to use the outdated storage heaters. Some even say they don't use them at all due to cost."

One woman said she had moved in 2001 and had been waiting for the heating to be upgraded since 2005. She said: "I've stopped talking to the council because things just don't get done.

"They have run out of money and are trying not to go bankrupt but it leaves us with big energy bills."

In response to the heating issues, a Leeds City Council spokesperson said: “It remains the council’s intention to replace the heating at Burnsall Grange with low-carbon ground source heating, which has already been installed in 60 high-rise blocks across the city. Unfortunately, this project has experienced several delays including those posed by the financial pressures facing all local authorities.

“We recognise that effective heating is an important factor in controlling damp and mould in the home and we would encourage residents to visit our dedicated webpage for practical advice and support on this matter. During the winter months, we worked with partners to support residents living in fuel poverty by issuing over £400,000 in free energy vouchers which included supporting 10 families in the Burnsall Grange block."

Another resident claimed some were becoming trapped in lifts which were overdue maintenance work.

They said: "We have been told for around 10 years that they would be replaced and they continue to break down.

"We are always at a loss. We are always fighting a losing battle."

The dad-of-two said that the tower block was "plagued with issues of antisocial behaviour and near daily issues involving drugs and alcohol".

He said: "The lifts often have urine up the doors and a minority of residents fail to keep to their tenancy rules. Housing continue to move tenants in with substance issues."

Another resident said that in the 10 years they had lived in the flats anti-social behaviour had gotten "worse and worse", adding: "You name it and they do it."

There were also claims that an increasing number of homeless people were sleeping in stairwells of the towerblock and that this last winter had been "the worst yet".

One resident said: "The cleaning staff were finding as many as eight people at any one time.

"They often leave it a mess with dirty drug paraphernalia, blood and faeces."

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The council's spokesperson added: “With regards to the lifts, these were installed in 2003 and are still well within their design life and not currently scheduled for replacement through our improvements programme. All our lifts are subject to a robust service regime and we have a repairs service which operates 24 hours a day.

“We carry out repair inspections within the block at least once every quarter and carry out formal fire risk assessments every year.

“Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in anti-social behaviour in the area and the council takes the concerns raised by residents very seriously. We are continuing to work with partners, including the Leeds Anti Social Behaviour Team and the West Yorkshire Police to address these issues and provide support to those involved.”