Morpeth flood victims still not home

The frustration goes on for Castle Morpeth Housing tenants Ian and Catherine Johnson, who are still living out of boxes in temporary accommodation at Stobhill.

The pair lost almost all their belongings when the River Wansbeck burst its banks in September 2008, flooding their home in Collingwood Terrace.

Without insurance, they knew the recovery would be a struggle, but they never anticipated the extent of the turmoil that lay ahead.

And 22 months on, they are still unable to return to normality.

Mr Johnson said: "We were supposed to be out of our home for six months and 22 months down the road we are still living out of boxes.

"It is like living in a self-catering hotel — nothing is your own.

"It is so frustrating because you see everything else going on and how quickly things happen.

"They have built the Back Riggs shopping centre in less time than it has taken to renovate two houses.

"Life can't get back to normal for us."

The couple, who are believed to be the last residents to return home from the 2008 flood, have been told the delay is due to the Listed Building status of their property.

Consent had to be obtained from Northumberland County Council to carry out works and specialist techniques had to be used in the restoration.

The tenants have asked to move into the property next door to their original home, where they lived for 13 years, but it has the same issues.

Mr Johnson said: "We were supposed to move back in August last year, but everything was ripped up again because it wasn't right. The plaster took a long time to dry out and now we are waiting for new windows.

"I go past the house every day to see what they are doing there, but I can't see anything happening. It looks like a building site.

"There are problems because it is listed and I can understand that for the exterior, but why must the interior have a listed quality."

Since leaving the property, the Johnsons have lost touch with friends and neighbours, but they were able to catch up when they were invited to Riverside Lodge to meet the Countess of Wessex last month.

However, afterwards their struggles continued.

"The Countess is a lovely lady, but she can't do anything for us," said Mr Johnson.

"We just want to go home. Everything else is by the by."

Landlord, Castle Morpeth Housing, accepted that repairs to the Collingwood Terrace properties have taken longer than first expected.

However, the association says it is important that the work is completed correctly.

A spokesman for the organisation said: "Our contractors have been working to repair damage to two listed properties in Collingwood Terrace for many months now after the stonework took nine months to dry out after the flooding.

"The work has taken substantially longer than we originally expected, largely because we were obliged to gain listed building consent from the local authority and the lime and horsehair plaster we have to use takes several months to dry properly.

"We have now informed Mr and Mrs Johnson that they are free to move back to 4 Collingwood Terrace, but they have chosen to remain where they are in Stobhill while we complete work on the property's windows.

"This last piece of work is part of our company-wide investment plan, rather than being part of any post-flood refurbishment."

He added: "These two properties are probably the most admired in our entire estate.

"They are listed and therefore have some historical significance so our contractors Mears and Faithful & Gould are rightly obliged to ensure they are repaired correctly.

"We know the Johnsons appreciate the benefits of living in this location and we look forward to assisting them in returning there as soon as possible, once our investment programme for the property is complete.