Pensioner’s dismay at delay to extension which would help disabled wife

A FRUSTRATED Strabane pensioner has hit out at a delay to an extension to his home which would give his disabled wife a better quality of life.

Pat McColgan says the Housing Executive promised work on an extension to his Ballycolman house, consisting of a bedroom and wet room for his disabled wife, would break ground on December 1. The Executive has strenuously deny committing to the December date saying work on the project will begin at the start of March, at the earliest.

Pat (69) who lives with his wife Kathleen, is distraught at the delay. Kathleen is wheelchair-bound and recovering from stomach cancer and Pat says he ‘doesn’t know where to go from here.’

He explained, “We applied for the extension two years ago and it took 15 months before anyone actually came out to see us to even look at the prospect of adding the extension. At the minute, my wife is living upstairs in our house and that’s as far as she gets, she’s practically bed-bound. We live in one bedroom, and I practically crawl into bed from the bottom of it every night. This extension was supposed to be a much-needed lifeline for Kathleen, a room where she could stay in comfort and be able to see more than just one room of the house.

“Carers and other medical professionals come in to see to Kathleen’s needs and, at any one time, there could be five different people in that one wee bedroom. It’s just not good enough and something has got to be done and done fast.”

Pat said a member of the Housing Executive stood in front of him and another witness and said work would have begun before Christmas.

“The plans, as far as I am aware, were passed off and rubber stamped on October 20 this year.

“I was told the plans are now with the architect a man named David Caldwell, and he would contact me about starting work on the extension.

“As yet I have had zero contact from the architect and on the numerous occasions I have contacted the Executive, I have been told that the hold-up is with Building Control.

“When I contact Building Control, they say the hold up is with the Executive. It seems like they’re shifting responsibility. Kathleen went into hospital three months ago and I had hoped that it would have been sorted out before she came home but no,” says an exasperated Pat.

Pat fears for the safety of himself and Kathleen as the impasse rumbles on. “I’m 69, Kathleen is 68. If anything happens, like a fire, then we’re both dead. There is no way I could get both of us out of the house in time.

“The proposed extension, when it finally happens, has fire assembly points built-in to the plans, points I don’t have at the minute. I pray every day that we are never put into a life-threatening situation which could have been avoided if the extension were built.

“Now they’re saying it’s ‘March at the earliest.’ I think we would be lucky to see the benefits of the extension by August. All I want is for someone to make a decision,” he pleads.

Enlisting the help of Housing Rights in Belfast, Pat is still bereft of answers. However, after the Chronicle contacted the Executive for comment, he says they did make contact, a call which Pat says was to ‘keep him quiet’.

“I wonder if it was any of their wives would the Executive be so slow in getting things sorted,” he added.

Responding to the claims a spokesperson for the Housing Executive said, “We are working with the relevant agencies to progress this much needed adaptation as quickly as possible.

“As soon as all necessary approvals and controls have been received, we will engage our specialist contractor to begin work on this home. This will take several months, so the anticipated start date is March 2022 at the earliest.”