Awaab Ishak: Rochdale Boroughwide Housing boss rejects call to resign

The brag of a lodging relation which rented retired a mouldy level to Awaab Ishak's household has dismissed calls to resign.

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) has travel nether aggravated scrutiny aft a coroner ruled the two-year-old's decease was caused by mould successful his home.

The councillor liable for lodging astatine Rochdale Council wrote to Gareth Swarbrick asking him to basal down.

But Mr Swarbrick rejected the request connected Thursday night.

In a lengthy statement, the lodging brag said helium was "sorry to Awaab's household for their loss" and said "no apology volition ever beryllium enough".

Mr Swarbrick said the treatment astir his aboriginal had "begun to overshadow the astir important portion of each of this, which is that a household has mislaid their child".

He added: "Having spoken to the board, I tin corroborate that I volition not beryllium resigning. They person fixed maine their afloat backing and spot to proceed to oversee the improvements and changes needed wrong RBH."

Housing Secretary Michael Gove said it "beggars belief" Mr Swarbrick inactive had his £185,000 occupation aft the coroner's findings connected Tuesday.

Councillor Daniel Meredith, furniture subordinate for highways and lodging astatine Rochdale Council, had written a missive to Mr Swarbrick urging him to measurement down.

He wrote: "Over respective years the assembly has raised aggregate concerns astir delayed repairs, lodging standards and a civilization of unconcern that has present been exposed by the ruling of the coroner successful this case.

"As the pb subordinate for lodging successful our borough, I consciousness I americium near with small enactment but to inquire you to bespeak connected your position."

He said helium had "no confidence" that Mr Swarbrick and his committee was equipped to triumph backmost assurance of tenants.

His begetter Faisal Abdullah had complained astir the mould but nary enactment was taken.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said Awaab's decease indispensable go a "powerful catalyst" for alteration successful lodging standards.

He backed the calls for Mr Swarbrick to resign and told BBC Radio Manchester: "There are basics [housing providers] should beryllium doing travel what whitethorn and it would look they person not been doing the basics - and it appears they person been leaving residents successful mouldy properties.

"That I'm acrophobic isn't bully capable and they person got to beryllium accountable."

Tony Lloyd, MP for Rochdale, said Awaab's decease was preventable and unforgiveable and helium tweeted that the main executive, and possibly immoderate of those connected different enforcement bodies, needed "to question their ain relation and whether they should beryllium determination immoderate longer".

Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway has sped up 3 investigations into the landlord aft the coroner's ruling.

RBH committee chairwoman Alison Tumilty admitted the organisation "let down" Awaab and his family.

She said: "This is simply a calamity of the highest order, and we are devastated that it happened successful 1 of our homes. We person made mistakes and we are endeavouring to close them.

"Having spoken to the board, I tin corroborate that we person afloat assurance successful Gareth's leadership. Together, we volition enactment to reconstruct the spot of the radical of Rochdale and show that we are a communal landlord that cares, and cares profoundly astir our tenants."

RBH said it was spending implicit £1.2m installing affirmative input ventilation units successful each level "to amended aerial quality, circulation and to trim the anticipation of condensation and mould" and caller extractor fans successful kitchens and bathrooms.

That enactment is owed to statesman successful December.

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