Disabled tennant slams council as they refuse to fix broken fence

MALCOLM WELCH HAS LIVED IN THE COUNCIL PROPERTY FOR 38 YEARS 12:19, 31 May 2025 A man has slammed his local council after they refused to fix a broken fence in his back garden. Malcolm Welch

has lived in the Staffordshire property for 38 years and used to carry out repairs himself. But the 65-year-old now needs crutches to get around so is unable to complete the work. A missing

panel in the fence at his home in Norton, Stoke-on-Trent, means that his neighbour's dog can access his garden which has left him cleaning up the mess. READ MORE: BAILEY ATKINSON

'REVENGE' KILLERS JAILED FOR 87 YEARS OVER HORROR DRIVE-BY SHOOTING Malcolm told StokeonTrentLive: “The fence between mine and next door is completely rotted. And they’ve got a

dog, so it can just come in and out as it pleases. Article continues below "That means sometimes I have to pick up its muck, that kind of thing. So I just want a fence putting back in

to restore that privacy. I don’t think I’m asking for much. “I phoned the council in March asking about having a new fence. I told them I’m disabled and they asked me if I could repair it

myself. "I’m missing toes on both my feet and I’ve got a heart condition. I get around on crutches. I thought they must be joking. “Someone came down to look at it eventually after I

kicked up a fuss. He took a few pictures and then told me that they wouldn’t be able to do anything. "‘We don’t do fences anymore,’ he says. So why did he even come down to look at the

thing then?” Given the money he pays for the house, Malcolm says that the council has a duty to carry out works. He continued: "I pay £100 a week for this property. I’ve lived here for

the past 38 years and I’ve always paid my rent on time. But I get nothing. "I’ve never known a service be so poor. It was bad when it was run by Unitas, but this is awful. "Every

time someone new takes over the running, you get less and less. We’re paying a lot of money for these properties, but we’re getting no return. “They stopped painting the properties 20 years

ago and told us we’d need to do it ourselves. Anything needs painting, it’s up to us. That was the start of it. "Eventually it’s ended up being you have to do everything yourselves. It

makes you question where all this rent money is going. “As far as I’m concerned, repairs should be included in your rent. That’s how it works with private landlords. Why should this be any

different? "Just because they’re the council, they’re allowed to get away with it. They’re abusing their position. “If I could get the repairs done, I’d do them myself. But I’m disabled

so that isn’t an option for me at the moment. Honestly, they’re hopeless. "I had a problem with my sink once. They said, ‘Okay, we’ll get someone round to repair it for you’. But they

didn’t send a plumber. They sent a joiner. A wood joiner. It beggars belief. “I’d like someone at the council to sort it out. That’s all. I’m not asking to change the world, just for my

landlord to look after the property as they should. "Not just send a bloke down to take a couple pictures and do nothing. But I doubt anything will happen. I don’t think I’ll ever get

the new fence.” Stoke-on-Trent City Council said that no repair or renewal of the fence is needed. Article continues below Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet for housing and planning, said:

"The council may repair or make safe any fencing which it has installed, and if the fencing cannot be repaired or made safe, it may be removed or replaced. "Any replacement of

fencing installed by the council, which is beyond repair, will be included in programmes of planned works to council homes and estates. "Our teams have been to inspect the fence. A full

assessment was conducted and officers have confirmed the fence is safe and no repair or renewal is required at this time."