Despairing council tenants whose lives have been thrown into disarray by ‘cowboy’ builders, have branded a £500 compensation payout as ‘pitiful.’

Families living in Chaucer House in Sutton have endured periods of no heating and no electricity, ever since council-contractors Keepmoat began interior building works back in March.

The firm employ C.J. Construction, whose workmen are accused of having a bad attitude towards residents, and walking into homes unnannounced.

Tenants also say workers are unable to carry out basic decorating tasks- with fresh paint peeling off door frames, black handprints left all over wallpaper, and leaking toilets not screwed to the floor properly.

Keepmoat are contracted by the Sutton Housing Partnership (SHP), who are responsible for the day-to-day running of council houses. 

At a public meeting on Wednesday, November 12, SHP’s asset manager Andrew Chalk said each household will be paid £500 compensation for seven months of inconvenience.

When asked by the Sutton Guardian if he felt the payout was sufficient, Mr Chalk said it was largely a ‘goodwill gesture.’

Susan Hill, who lives in Chaucer House, said: "We have paid seven months of rent whilst living with this disruption.

"£500 is no compensation for having to eat on your bed, and having no kind of life. Because of the mess they leave, and the trouble they have caused, we have not been able to eat properly or sleep properly. 

"£500 is pitiful."

At an earlier meeting in October she said: "They have got cowboys in. They haven’t got the right people in there, because they don’t know what they are doing.

"We have had to live through seven months of hell."

Mr Chalk defended the payout sum, and said: "The heating bill element is £200, the other £300 is a goodwill gesture."

The meeting on November 12 was a follow-up from an earlier meeting on October 21, where residents put their concerns to members of SHP's communications team.

The follow-up gave residents the chance to speak to senior members of SHP and Keepmoat. 

Keepmoat’s divisional manger Wally Shave was in attendance, but refused to answer any questions from the Sutton Guardian.

C.J. Construction were not represented, and a spokesman refused to give a comment when contacted by phone.

In both meetings every Chaucer House resident said they had endured periods with no heating or hot water, or were only able to get lukewarm water from their taps.

Mr Shave said: "There have always been problems with the heating.

"The whole point is to bring a new heating system into the place. The new system will be working.

"I can’t defend the indefensible. I am sorry we don’t have your trust. I can’t go back to what happened before. 

"I can’t move back the clocks unfortunately.

"We have disappointed you. It is hard but hopefully in six months time, we can say it was a tough journey, but we got there, and we can leave that behind us."

The meeting was also attended by SHP’s head of property services Jerry Austin, and Sutton North councillor Marlene Heron.

She said: "People have come home and had to spend two hours clearing up before they go to sleep. The workmen start a job, and then they don’t come back.

"Every single tenant has talked about a lack of respect." 

Mr Austin confirmed SHP would be prepared to take out a contract with Keepmoat again.

A Sutton Housing Partnership spokesperson said: "In recognition of the disruption residents at Chaucer House have experienced, Sutton Housing Partnership have made an offer of compensation to all those affected."

Have you had a bad experience with Keepmoat, C.J. Construction, or any other building firm? Call the news desk on 020 8722 6358, or email tom.gillespie@london.newsquest.co.uk