MP Demands Answers Over Bracknell Water Crisis

Bracknell MP Peter Swallow has criticised housing association Stonewater after families at Newlands Place were left without proper water and some without homes since December.

Mr Swallow told the Bracknell News the situation is "not good enough" and he is pressing Stonewater to sort it.

He said: "This is an appalling situation. I was shocked when residents reached out to me to explain how they had been treated. "I am continuing to press Stonewater to address this mess. They have a duty to residents to fix this as quickly as possible."

Residents told the MP they first faced water problems in late December - there is a dispute over whether the issue began on December 6 or December 29. Some were moved into hotels, but MPs' staff were told these stays were chaotic because bookings were often for one night at a time, forcing people to keep moving.

Stonewater installed a tank providing non-potable water, but when it was connected the supply to some other flats stopped. The association told residents the fault was fixed on February 16, but people reported to the parliamentary team that they still had no water or only very low, unusable pressure.

Mr Swallow added: "We are nearly in March, and disruption to the water supply continues. "Temporary solutions are causing knock-on problems to previously unaffected flats, and families with disabled children have been left without usable running water. "As soon as I heard about these issues I was in touch with Stonewater, and have made it clear that this situation must be addressed urgently. "Residents have been kept in the dark about issues, or decanted at short notice while Stonewater has failed to get to the root of problems. "Others have been left in flats with such poor water pressure that they cannot wash or heat their homes. "This is not good enough, and in my view falls well below the duty Stonewater has to its residents."

A Stonewater spokesperson said: "We recognise how difficult the situation at Newlands Place has been for customers, and we appreciate the patience people have shown while we worked to resolve it. "The burst of a major underground water main proved far more complex to repair than initially expected, largely due to the building's intricate infrastructure - something that only became fully clear once works were underway. "We're pleased that the issue has now been resolved and water supply has been restored to every home. "From the outset, our priority was ensuring customers without water had support in place. "Households were offered alternative accommodation as soon as issues were reported, including those in shared ownership homes. "Where options didn't meet individual needs, we continued searching until supply was reinstated. We have also been covering the cost of bottled water throughout. "Customers were kept updated regularly by letter, email, text and calls, and we will continue to offer support should further issues be reported."

Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter