A COUNCIL tenant is facing her fourth Christmas without a proper kitchen as she waits for new units.
Claire Jeynes, from Hyde Park, Leeds, first reported having warped kitchen units in 2007.
She threw them out after receiving a letter from the council’s then maintenance firm Kier saying she would have new ones within 90 days of September 1, 2008.
The unemployed 39-year-old mum says she removed her old kitchen units to make the installation of new ones easier. But she feels a change in Leeds City Council’s housing contractors has led to her losing out.
Her support worker contacted her local housing office to chase up her complaint and claims to have been told no kitchens will be installed until April 2013, at the earliest, as there is “no money available”.
The news comes as Morrison, which has been in charge of maintaining Leeds council homes since April 2011, is making major efforts to improve its fitting of kitchens and bathrooms as it tries save its ailing council contract by December 31.
Ms Jeynes said: “It has worn me down, making battling telephone calls, having to explain things time and time again – the whole history of everything.”
Kier ceased working for the council in 2008 and the work was handed to another firm.
Ms Jeynes says she complained again in 2009 and 2010.
After Morrison took over the council contract in 2011, Ms Jeynes says a surveyor visited in February this year and ordered a new window, door and kitchen units – but the latter are yet to arrive.
Morrison was given three months to improve its service in April but after continued problems, the firm now has until December to prove its worth.
A spokeswoman for the council’s West North West Homes Leeds ALMO said: “The kitchen will be upgraded before March 2013. Our contractors will be contacting her shortly.”
She said contractors could not gain access so works were cancelled in 2008 and Ms Jeynes refused to pay for repair works after she removed her kitchen units without being asked to in 2009. She said between 2009 and 2012 there was no contact from Ms Jeynes.
Morrison said the firm was awaiting instructions to go ahead with fitting the units.
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