A Pembrokeshire dad says that he is stuck in a council house deemed ‘uninhabitable’, due to lack of action by Pembrokeshire County Council.

Jim Harwood has lived in his Pembroke Dock property for a decade. He says that there were problems with the house from the outset but he was led to believe that they would be dealt with when he moved in.

Ten years later, he says that his property has been branded ‘uninhabitable’ by a building inspector, but he and his son are still stuck in it.

Jim says that the house was surveyed a few years ago and that the council is ‘well aware’ of the results.

“The house has mould all around the top of the outside walls, he said. “The chimney stack and roof need repairing, and internally the mould needs addressing.”

Photos of the property show damp and mould coming in through the ceilings with one built-in cupboard thick with dark green mould at the top.

Jim says that Pembrokeshire County Council has done nothing to address the problems.

This is despite him getting a solicitor involved and the council settling with an out-of-court payment, and a promise that work be completed as soon as possible.

He also says that a home swap he applied for through the council was recently refused as the authority’s building inspector said that his own home was ‘uninhabitable’.

“I found a person who was interested in doing a home swap,” said Jim. “She saw the state of the place but wasn't bothered as she is desperate to live in Pembroke Dock.

“Three people from the council came to inspect my property and said they would not be letting the home swap go ahead because ‘the house isn't habitable’ in its current state.

“Yet my son and I are expected to continue living here.”

Jim says that he has asked when work will take place and was given no answer and that the council has made no attempt to contact him about the work they need to do.

He has also put in a formal complaint to Pembrokeshire County Council but has had no reply from that either.

A spokesperson from Pembrokeshire County Council said that it was unable to comment on individual cases due to client confidentiality.

“Where reports of disrepair or defects are reported to the council these are followed up by way of inspection, survey and thereafter scheduling any works required to be completed to contractors,” said the spokesperson.

"It is acknowledged that there is a backlog of outstanding works on some of our housing stock due to the high level of demands on the building maintenance service and contractor availability.

“This is being addressed through additional recruitment of contractors."