Hello, its thursday, its 10 oclock, im victoria derbyshire, and were live from new broadcasting house. Last year we exposed the shocking conditions some families were living in, on a council owned block on a regeneration site in north london. They were living with cockroaches, security doors that didnt work so drug users and anyone else could come in at any time. We still have to live with the cockroaches, the mice, the rats, being broken into. This time the conservative Council LeaderDaniel Thomas has agreed to be on the programme and the city of wuhan has been shut down to contain the virus that has infected more than 500 people and kill 17. The worry is
that this could spread from wuhan to other cities and we could see similar situations, other cities and we could see similarsituations, entire other cities and we could see similar situations, entire floors in hospitals are being cleared to make way for patients and we are being told this. A bbc investigation has learned that at least seven preventable baby deaths may have occurred within one nhs trust since 2016 leading to signifca nt concerns about Maternity Care there. Well talk to dawn powell, who lost one of her twins last year, when he was just four days old. That was after a series of hospital failings. Hi, and welcome to the programme. Were live until 11 this morning. We really want to hear from you this morning if you have a non secure tenancy. How does that affect you and your family . Non secure tenancy
is, let us know if you have them, are given to people who are homeless and the council has a duty to house and the council has a duty to house and you could be evicted in a few weeks notice but you are supposed to have the same rights in terms of standards of accommodation as private or secure tenants, so what does it mean to you to have a non secu re does it mean to you to have a non secure tenancy . Do send us an e mailand non secure tenancy . Do send us an e mail and you non secure tenancy . Do send us an e mailand you can non secure tenancy . Do send us an e mail and you can text. Or you can message us on e mail and you can text. Or you can message us on twitter. Asummary of a summary of the new so far this morning. Good morning. The chinese city of wuhan is effectively under lockdown as authorities desperately struggle to control the deadly coronavirud outbreak there. The Public Transport Network has been shut down, effectively quarantining 11 million people. 17 people have now died on the first us case has been confirmed. World leaders are gathering in jerusalem confirmed. World leaders are gathering injerusalem to mark the
70th 75th gathering injerusalem to mark the 70th 75th anniversary of the liberation of the auschwitz death camp in poland where more than a million people, mostly dues, died. Prince charles is amongst the World Leaders present and earlier planted a memorial tree with the israeli president. Knife crime in england and wales has hit a new record high according to official figures released just a few minutes ago. Knife offences recorded by police rose 7 in the year ending in september 2019 and there was also a surge in robberies which rose by 1296. Surge in robberies which rose by 12 . A bbc investigation has discovered that at least seven preve nta ble ba by discovered that at least seven preventable baby deaths may have occurred at one of englands largest Hospital Trust. East kent Nhs Foundation trust has apologised after significant concerns were raised about Maternity Services there with mistakes continuing for yea rs there with mistakes continuing for years after criticism was first raised. The Uns Highest Court has decided this morning to allow a case accusing myanmar of genocide against
rohingya muslims to go ahead. More than 700,000 fled from the army to neighbouring bangladesh in 2017. If judges decide that those in myanmar still face the ongoing threat of genocide, emergency measures will be issued to try to protect them. The former speaker of the house of commonsjohn former speaker of the house of Commons John Bercow is former speaker of the house of Commonsjohn Bercow is facing a fresh allegation of bullying and he denies the claim from lord lysvane, who had been one of his most senior assistance. Cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom says the new complaint should have an impact on whether he has made a peer. The key point about the complaints procedure is that nobody can get away with bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, talking down to people and so on and where those allegations are made they need to be properly investigated and those individuals who are then found to be guilty of the things they are accused of should not be offered a peerage in the house of lords. Three us crewmembers have died in australia
after their firefighting aircraft crashed while tackling blazes near canberra. More than 80 blazes are raging across New South Wales after hot and windy conditions returned. The australian prime minister, scott morrison, said he was deeply saddened to learn of the deaths. The amount of paid bereavement leaves that children can take parents can take out of their child dies will be increased from april. Bereaved parents will take two weeks up bereaved parents will take two weeks up from the three day legal entitlement that exists now. The changes as jacks law in memory of a child who died shortly before his second birthday. Thats a summary of the main story so far today. Back to you, victoria. We are still here telling your stories and covering theissues telling your stories and covering the issues important to you in your life, and you know what, we dont give up. Thats why we have been back to a Housing Estate in london. Last october, we exposed the shocking living conditions
in a council owned block on a regeneration site in barnet on london. They were living with cockroaches, security doors that didnt work so drug users and anyone else could come in at any time. They were facing being stuck there until the block is knocked down in 2022. So, we wanted to report back and let you know what, if anything had changed. Our reporter sean clare who exposed the state of the building has been back, and heard about a new problem that residents fear could be putting their lives in danger. Residents living on the one remaining block of flats in the north london estate undergoing redevelopment say they are being left to rot with pest infestations and security issues. These are people who are in one old block where all around the redevelopment and regeneration is taking place. Drug addicts inject heroin on the stairs and they live with damp and cockroaches. Barnett holmes told the
programme it was extremely sorry for the standard of homes on marsh drive. When i was here last time you were facing being stockier until 2022 when the block is being knocked down and now youre being moved out later this year. What has changed . Since it went on the news last time we got a letter the week after saying eve ryo ne a letter the week after saying everyone has to move out within ten months now that weve been outed on bbc news and people realise how bad we have left you and it has shamed us, now we have left you and it has shamed us, now we we have left you and it has shamed us, now we will accept you as human beings and find somewhere to live. It depends what category you fit in, whether they will hows you, not how you back onto an estate that is just
as bad as the one we live on at the moment. Ive waited 15 years to be told im going to be moved, but now im getting the letter to say you are moving in ten months, the anxiety, ive never suffered with it before but now i understand how anxiety works because im petrified of not knowing where i will go. Can my kids still go to college . And i still go to work . I dont know. Cani still go to work . I dont know. Can i still go to work . Aside from the vermin and the mould and all those things, we now have to think about living in what is possibly a death trap. If there was a gash explosion it says the building could collapse gas explosion. Barnet council have
been instructing gas inspectors to come in and have a look at our gas. We had a visit and when they were looking at it they realise there was a gas leak. Weve been reporting it for the last six years and apparently people have come round and checked it and said it has been fine, but she keeps smelling the smell of gas. The council is here and ive been told that ive been in danger and the whole building could have collapsed. Why would it have collapsed . Because the gas was showing it was really leaking a lot. I was smoking close to it, and it could have caught fire quickly and easily. Which is really scary, actually. Who is to blame for putting tenants in danger . Some people say they shouldnt have been smoking in the kitchen if there is a gas leak. |j dont know. The Safety Measures should have been done a long time
ago. We shouldnt even be living like this. And every time ive said to theml like this. And every time ive said to them i am scared, im having nightmares, i worry, to them i am scared, im having nightmares, iworry, its not to them i am scared, im having nightmares, i worry, its not my flat, i can try and protect it as much as i can, but other people, they might not even be there and we are having a gas explosion and the same thing can happen to all of us. We are not supposed to have gas. If youve got somebody saying we had a gas leak for six years, i cant even explain how scary that is, i cant even explain. You have to be thankful that your kids and everybody woke up the next day. Has anything improved . Has anything improved . The communication, i would say. Ive been inundated with letters from barnett holmes. We still live here and we still have to live with the gas and the cockroaches, and the knives, being broken into. How long have these been here . |j knives, being broken into. How long have these been here . I would say about a few weeks. There is an obstruction. If you bothered to come round and actually speak to residents, you would understand. You cannot turn round and say to me. I have
certainly been round marsh drive estate more than you have, having been here 18 years. The building is technically structurally not safe. That is why everybody has to move out of marsh drive. It is not right living like this. If you cant do it
for yourself, do it for your children, do it for whatever. That is the truth. Lets talk now to the conservative leader of Barnet Council, Daniel Thomas, and ahmed padori, a marsh drive resident housed there temporarily with his daughter. That was eight years ago. Hes part of the new and growing Residents Association for non secure tenants. Welcome both of you and thanks for coming on the programme. Could you live in those conditions . No, i couldnt. Why should other people have do . Thats why weve accelerated the rehousing programme and reassessed residents for their housing need and nine residents have recently been offered accommodation,
eight of which is in the borough and thats the acknowledgement that residents cannot continue to live like this. Were not proud of this block of flats and thats why we wa nt to block of flats and thats why we want to give people homes they can be proud of and to bring them up to standard it would have cost the council ten years ago, at least £11 million, money wouldnt have which is why we embarked on the Regeneration Programme and why these buildings are being demolished. Regeneration programme and why these buildings are being demolishedm is it acceptable that some people have been living in those conditions for a decade . Theyve not been living in those conditions for a decade. These are recent conditions and they are a symptom of the inherent faults within Precast Concrete buildings, built in the 19605 concrete buildings, built in the 1960s and 70s. Cockroaches are not a symptom. These damp is not a symptom of that. It is widely known that there are damp and insulation and ventilation problems and concrete buildings and these buildings have rubbish chutes where people drop it
down the chute and that is not hygienic and new flats dont have that any more. We would rather not place residents into these flats. Why are you doing it . There is a housing crisis across london and the country and there is a shortage of homes. The 100 odd families in these flats at the moment, there is nowhere else to put them right now. You have said it was this morning that you could not live there. But you are expecting other people in your borough to live there. We dont expect them to live there forever, it is temporary. But you are expecting them to live there for a period of time. So for how long have you been there . Eight years. As a temporary resident, yes, and we are doing all we can to improve the conditions at the block and since september when it was brought to my attention with Barnet Council, we have worked on at least 25 measures and we have a Housing Committee on monday and this will be shared with councillors on monday night and i
was at the estate last week i met with ahmed and other residents and there were several issues we raised we are working on the most important thing is that we accelerate the programme of rehousing and nine residents have been offered a rehousing and eight have been offered secure tenancies. Have you brought that forward by two years because you have been shamed into doing that by the exposure on this programme . No. What was the reason then . It was apparent before this programme was aired back in november or october. This was brought to our attention and we were having discussions about bringing forward the rehousing of the tenants because quite clearly the buildings are deteriorating at a rapid pace. Do you mind me asking why you didnt come on the programme in october . You probably know that most councillors, myself included, we have full time jobs and sometimes we cant drop everything or leave work to come onto tv shows. Im delighted youve given me another opportunity. Im glad you could get the time off
today. You will know we had Brian Coleman on, former mayor of the borough and he said you were coming on the programme because you thought it was a stitch up. What did he mean . I dont know and ive not spoken to him for many months and i didnt speak to him about this programme, soi didnt speak to him about this programme, so i cant comment on what he said. One more thought, you mention the Housing Committee meeting on monday which will decide what happens to people like yourself and others, so is there any chance that you will offer this man and his 12 year old daughter for example secure tenancies, even if simply to acknowledge the horrendous conditions they have had to live in and are continuing to live in . Secure tenancies are lifelong tenancies and barnett stopped issuing those in 2012 in line with many other london boroughs and boroughs across country. We dont offer lifetime tenancies any more because we acknowledge we have the russian social housing. Theres only so much of it we have to ration it. Theres only so much of it and
we have to distribute it in terms of need. We offer flexible tenancies where you have a tenancy for a year and it all goes well and then you get another tenancy for two years or five years depending on circumstances and we review the tenancies because people circumstances change and into 205 yea rs circumstances change and into 205 years time people may have income and can afford accommodation in the private rented sector or some of their children might have gone to work or to university and they dont need as big a home as they are in now. Its very unlikely. Recently, nine households have been reassessed for housing and eight of them have been awarded secure tenancies because their circumstances deserved that and it is issued on need. There was a non secu re that and it is issued on need. There was a non secure tenancy that moved out of the borough at their choice. What was it like when you first moved in eight years ago with youre
now 12 year old daughter . Moved in eight years ago with youre now 12 year old daughter7m moved in eight years ago with youre now 12yearold daughter . It wasnt good and it has not been good. When i moved in the residents were not together and they were not talking together and they were not talking to each other so we didnt realise the problem that each person had is the problem that each person had is the same that the other was having. In our flat the same that the other was having. In ourflatl the same that the other was having. In our flat i was having cockroaches and mice, so my daughterare in our flat i was having cockroaches and mice, so my daughter are used to say it was nothing because she is scared and she does not want to go out, that is the thing. She is four yea rs old out, that is the thing. She is four years old at the time. She was four yea rs old years old at the time. She was four years old at the time. She was four years old at the time and and it wasnt good and its never been good and when we started campaigning, with the help of your show, that is when Barnet Council woke up because you could call and complain about something and they would not come. If there was a problem with a toilet, it was my fault and i had to do more painting, and my towels, it
was coming out and when i called the councils they said we cannot do it and if we touch it, anything that happens is your fault. Youve been living with cockroaches and damp for eight years. Yes. Well, we do have a Maintenance Department and i dont know what has happened. Are you sure . Cockroaches and damp for eight yea rs. Sure . Cockroaches and damp for eight years. How long have you been leader for question not since june years. How long have you been leader for question not sincejune of one of my priority is Customer Service and responding to issues like this in barnet and from other residents reporting potholes. Again, i brought a paper to reporting potholes. Again, i brought a papertoa reporting potholes. Again, i brought a paper to a recent town hall meeting to talk about improving Customer Service. That is a priority of mine. Have proper locks been fitted