FRUSTRATED neighbours who have been without gas since January are taking their housing association to court.

Around 100 households in Old Farm Road, Strawberry Vale, have not been able to cook on their gas hobs for four months after a fault with the meter.

While some homes had their gas restored last month, those who are still waiting claim Peabody has not kept them in the loop.

This Friday, they hope a judge will grant an injunction forcing bosses to switch it back on.

Resident Shona Perkins described the situation as “incredible.”

She said: “It’s been very difficult and it’s getting very expensive. I don’t feel like there’s been any transparency. We’ve had to be detectives to get to the truth.

“When we ask when it’s coming back on they are very vague. We want the judge to grant an injunction forcing them to put the gas back on.

“We will claim for damages soon, but this is our priority for now.”

Last month, Peabody bosses confessed the estate did not have a “gas safety case”, as required by law, so it would be unsafe to turn the supply back on.

There were talks of going electric – something which neighbours were against because it could triple their bills.

But after engineers gave them the go-ahead, they started turning the gas back on but some households were warned they could be left waiting until June. Mother-of-five Atike Gorul had no heating, hot water or the use of her gas stove.

The housing association gave her a “temperamental” electric shower but this cannot be used as the time as other electric items – including the television – as it will cause the circuit to short.

She said: “It’s the same stress, the same problem. The more it goes on the more frustrating it gets. Not knowing when it will be switched back on makes it worse – is it ever going to happen?

“It feels like we’ve been pushed aside and left by ourselves. I hope the court hearing will give them a push.

“When you’re not suffering, you don’t know what it’s like – they don’t understand we’re not coping. I want them to pull their socks up and do something quicker for us.”

Bosses at Peabody said their plans to set the gas supply back up at Strawberry Vale is "on track".


Sandra Skeete, Executive Director of Housing at Peabody said: “Over a third of homes have been reconnected and we are working to complete the programme in the next two weeks. 


"We have kept residents informed throughout with regular updates and home visits, and contacted all residents at Old Farm Road yesterday to update them on our progress.”