Family flat a fire hazard (From Barry And District News)

Family flat a fire hazard

A YOUNG mum says she fears for the safety of her family after an environmental health officer's report revealed her flat offers no escape in the event of a fire.

And she claims the council is doing nothing to help.

An officer from the Vale of Glamorgan Council visited Zara Morgan's flat on Park Crescent, Barry, four weeks ago, while she was in hospital giving birth to her son, Ryan. Zara, 21, had complained to the council that her two-bedroomed flat, rented under the Homes4U scheme, was too small to house herself, her partner, Simon Cox, 35, and her children, two-year-old Amber, Violet, aged one, and four-week-old Ryan.

But according to the report compiled by the inspector, Zara's flat was not overcrowded - it was suggested the flat's living room could be used as another bedroom - but there were inadequate means of escape in case of a fire.

Zara said: "When environmental health had completed their report and sent it to the Homes4U team, we called to see if our priority banding had gone up from silver to gold."

Zara said she was told by a council employee that due to an impending change in the council's policy for fire and safety problems, she would be re-banded as a gold priority. This would make it easier for her to bid for a bigger house elsewhere.

"We were very pleased," said Zara.

"We couldn't thank her enough, as it's practically impossible to get a house unless you are a gold member. We went to bid on a lovely house in Llantwit Major, confident that now we were gold members, we would stand a good chance of getting it."

Zara and Simon were devastated when they subsequently were told their situation had not changed. According to Zara, they were told a mistake had been made in informing them they had been shifted to gold.

"We were absolutely gutted," said Zara, "so we decided to further investigate the situation.

"We were told no policy changes have taken effect, and are still under discussion."