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Woman's seafront balcony fixed after six-year wait

Sonia Watsonand
Henry Godfrey-Evans,BBC Essex, in Southend-on-Sea
News imageHenry Godfrey-Evans/BBC A smiling woman with a mug in her hands, sat in her chair on a balcony with purple foliage in the backgroundHenry Godfrey-Evans/BBC
Gillian Humphries said the balcony had been "rotten" but she had now been able to use it this summer drinking cocktails

A disabled woman who did not think she would still be alive to see her flat's balcony fixed said she felt "reborn" now it has been repaired for use.

In 2018, several residents of Plaza Royal Mews, near Southend's seafront, were told not to use their balconies due to safety concerns.

Gillian Humphries, 81, said: "I couldn't get out on my balcony for six years, and now I'm reborn."

The BBC has contacted the freeholder and managing agents for the block, who previously said responsibility for the balcony was "complicated", because the obligation to repair it was divided between the leaseholder and the freeholder.

News imageIan Puckey/BBC A messy balcony with wooden planks as flooring and some indistinguishable rubbishIan Puckey/BBC
Surveyors for Southend-on-Sea City Council previously said one of the balconies was in danger of collapsing at the privately owned block

Ms Humphries has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and struggles to breathe.

She said the flooring on her balcony had been "rotten... spongy" and the door only opened four inches.

Contractors for the freehold owner of the block had since come in and made the balcony safe.

"[When] I had to go down to get some fresh air I had to go down in the lift to the ground floor and there was a little space at the back, not even a seat to sit down on, and that's how I lived. I lived like that and yes, it was terrible," Ms Humphries said.

"All I saw was scaffolding; it was just a mess for six years and now I've got my balcony back.

"Now I can just go out, open that door, breathe the fresh air... lovely.

"I was sitting out there with my cocktail and I was just in my awe... this summer was remarkable."

News imageHenry Godfrey-Evans/BBC A colourful balcony with chairs, decorations and purple foliage, the decking is slightly wet due to the weatherHenry Godfrey-Evans/BBC
Ms Humphries said she could now see the sea again from her flat now that the balcony had been repaired

Tim Scott, the owner of the block's managing agent Scott and Stapleton, previously described the dispute as "a complex matter".

In 2023, he told the BBC the firm understood that lack of information could be frustrating, and he thanked Ms Humphries and her family "for their ongoing patience".

Norman Powell, the owner of freeholder N R Powell Developments, previously said that it was organising a schedule for repairs.

However he had pointed out that keeping pot plants on balconies, as in Ms Humphries's case, was against the tenancy agreement because it could cause water damage.

News imageGoogle A modern-day block of flats of about five storeys. It has wooden cladding on the exterior and each flat has a wooden-clad balcony.Google
The Plaza Royal Mews block is near the seafront and pier, behind Royal Terrace

The BBC understands problems with all the affected balconies have been resolved.

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