Life at Brooke House is "a disgrace", say residents (From Basildon Recorder)
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Life at Brooke House is "a disgrace", say residents
12:00pm Thursday 11th October 2012 in News By Luke Lambert
Josie Cook and daughter Darcie-May Thompson outside Brooke House
RESIDENTS living in Brooke House have labelled the council block “a disgrace” and “an absolute joke”.
The tower block, in the Town Square, has been in the spotlight recently because of the broken lifts and now council bosses are refusing to go to Brooke House to discuss the lift problems after officers were abused by residents.
Now, residents have hit back at the council saying they feel they have been forgotten and the council needs to sort out their priorities as they are living in “a dump”.
One unhappy dweller is 19-year-old Josie Cook. She lives on the 7th floor with her one-year-old daughter Darcie-May Thompson and has to carry her pushchair and her daughter up and down flights of stairs to get in and out of the building.
“This place is absolutely terrible and all I want to do is leave. I have been here for eighteen months and that is much longer than I should have been. I wanted to be here a year and as I have got Darcie-May I would have thought I would be on a lower floor. The council just don’t care about our needs as I thought we would have been moved out by now.”
Miss Cook says the conditions in the tower block are an absolute state and says she has come across human excrement and drug users in the hallways and stairwells.
“I have to go past all sorts and don’t particularly wan’t people offering me drugs whilst I am with my baby. There is p*** and s*** in the corridors and I cannot stand it.”
A 28-year-old woman, who didn’t want to be named, said she had lived in Brooke House for 6 years with her husband and said she didn’t like it but had grown to accept what it was.
“Everyone knows what happens here. We can’t use the stairwells and the lift situation is a joke. I would happily go and meet with the council to tell them what I think of this place but nothing will be done. No-one wants to be here.”
The work on the first lift, which began this week, is expected to last 16 weeks before work on the second lift starts in February, also lasting 16 weeks.
Comments(19)
Basildon.lad.21
says...
12:35pm Thu 11 Oct 12
howironic wrote:Cos his probably in prison.
I feel for Josie Cook, why doesn't Darcie-May's father help carry the buggy up the stairs.
Basildon.lad.21
says...
12:38pm Thu 11 Oct 12
They should build a new fresh tower block in the town centre, and only let people live there if they are working.
black jack ketchum
says...
12:40pm Thu 11 Oct 12
A case of reap what you sow!
perini
says...
12:49pm Thu 11 Oct 12
j-w
says...
12:52pm Thu 11 Oct 12
aduksquack
says...
12:53pm Thu 11 Oct 12
Shame how it has become so run down.
Eric Whim
says...
12:58pm Thu 11 Oct 12
aduksquack wrote:I remember when it had a nice sculpture in the entrance foyer.
I remember when Brooke House was fairly new. It was quite exclusive and had concierge only entry. Shame how it has become so run down.
Where did that go?
golfplayer
says...
12:58pm Thu 11 Oct 12
"They should build a new fresh tower block in the town centre, and only let people live there if they are working.”
Basildon.lad.21
But the girl above probably isn't working! Expecting to have everything handed to her for free and when its not the champagne, TOWIE lifestyle she expects she drowns in self pity. How about get a job, save a deposit and get somewhere nice to live off your back and stop expecting the basildon rate payers to improve your life
naffeville
says...
1:17pm Thu 11 Oct 12
comment from the unknown
says...
1:39pm Thu 11 Oct 12
So what has she done to get her and her deprived daughter out?
Why shouldn't she have been there fore so long?
We all have to do things we don't like - in some circumstances pay our own way and not even neceessarily get 'what you'd like' out of it.
black jack ketchum
says...
2:33pm Thu 11 Oct 12
I'd love a new kitchen & a bathroom but guess what I have to wait & save up!
Ironman
says...
5:15pm Thu 11 Oct 12
black jack ketchum wrote:Get yourself knocked up by one of the feckless Bozos that inhabit the streets and you could acquire yourself a complete new home at the Taxpayers expense. Simples.
Exactly, my extension roof leaks every time it rains so a bucket is placed there, haven't got the money to have it repaired at the moment as I already have two jobs to pay my mortgage & bills,
I'd love a new kitchen & a bathroom but guess what I have to wait & save up!
Ironman
says...
5:15pm Thu 11 Oct 12
black jack ketchum wrote:Get yourself knocked up by one of the feckless Bozos that inhabit the streets and you could acquire yourself a complete new home at the Taxpayers expense. Simples.
Exactly, my extension roof leaks every time it rains so a bucket is placed there, haven't got the money to have it repaired at the moment as I already have two jobs to pay my mortgage & bills,
I'd love a new kitchen & a bathroom but guess what I have to wait & save up!
black jack ketchum
says...
5:18pm Thu 11 Oct 12
Ironman wrote:oh that sounds really nice NOT LOL
black jack ketchum wrote:Get yourself knocked up by one of the feckless Bozos that inhabit the streets and you could acquire yourself a complete new home at the Taxpayers expense. Simples.
Exactly, my extension roof leaks every time it rains so a bucket is placed there, haven't got the money to have it repaired at the moment as I already have two jobs to pay my mortgage & bills,
I'd love a new kitchen & a bathroom but guess what I have to wait & save up!
I think I will stick with my hardworking non benefit claiming husband!
SpaffSpiff84
says...
5:49pm Thu 11 Oct 12
Steve H
says...
6:34pm Thu 11 Oct 12
Brunning999
says...
7:03pm Thu 11 Oct 12
stop blaming a building, it is the occupants that are the problem not a building.
Nelly3
says...
5:17pm Fri 12 Oct 12
howironic says...
12:20pm Thu 11 Oct 12