Family’s anger at council flat without enough windows to cope with heatwave

A mum has likened her home to a greenhouse after complaining it’s too hot for her family to live in.

Shantell Parnell, 24, has had a fan switched on for the past two years because her home in Dover apparently doesn’t have enough windows that open.

She suffered in the heatwave last week alongside husband Tom, and her daughter Elsie Carr, four, and son Reuben, 13 months.

It got so bad in her council flat she had to take off her rings because her hands swelled up.

Mrs Parnell is not happy with Town and Country Housing because she feels her family are in danger after it apparently refused to add more windows that open.

Her toddler Reuben – who was born with heart problems – has a baby monitor that recorded highs of 31C despite The Lullaby Trust recommending babies sleep in rooms at a temperature of 16-20C to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Mrs Parnell also suffers from fibromyalgia, an incurable condition which causes pain all over the body, fatigue, headaches and difficulty sleeping.

She said doctors had told her the high temperatures had accelerated her health issues.

Mrs Parnell said: ‘I rang up Town and Country to ask them about the double pane of glass with no opening windows but they say they only make replacements if they are damaged and even then, only replace with the same thing that is already there.’

She accused authorities of not taking the matter seriously after she was told to run air circulators in her home at Conqueror House.

Mrs Parnell, who moved into her flat five years ago, said fans didn’t really help because all they did was circulate the hot air.

She added last year was particularly bad when temperatures hit 38.9C at one point.

She said no-one wants to visit her anymore, including her grandparents who have said it’s too hot.

The mum-of-two wants a bigger property but the council have said her current accommodation is adequate.

She is also angry the lift in her building is consistently broken because her condition means she cannot walk and has to be carried up the stairs by her husband, who is also her full-time carer.

A spokesman for Town and Country Housing said: ‘The lift has been attended to three times in the last year and each time an engineer has been out in 24 hours and fixed the lift.

‘We have made no changes or alteration to the building and it remains as passed and approved by Dover District Council.’

The spokesman added: ‘We have had no application from the tenant to move, however we are happy for her to contact us to discuss an application.’

Council officers were due to attend the property yesterday to take temperature readings.