SAC0039

Written evidence submitted by Mr Mohammed Adil Mulla

Service Accommodation Assessment and Concerns

Issues regarding service accommodation outlined below:

• Living Arrangements: 28 years of age sharing the block with approximately 23 other service personnel. It is supposed to be a ‘transit’ block, meaning that essentially service personnel from other stations for visits etc can use the rooms for a few days before continuing their journey or returning to their parent unit. This is not the case. We are all permanently in this block until something becomes available (i.e., a SLAM block, with ensuite). However, there is not enough SLAM for the personnel on station to have a room each and the waiting list is 18 months-2 years due to the turnover period of personnel. My fiancé has never stayed over since her first visit to help me unpack and get settled in as there is literally no space for her to sleep. I have a single bed, and it has severely impacted our relationship due to only seeing her every 2nd/3rd weekend.
• Prayer space: One of my main concerns is the lack of space I have for my daily prayers. My accommodation is supposed to be my safe space, an area where I can relax and take time out for myself; conducting prayers helps with this. Unfortunately, I can only do this if I cramp myself when praying. The nearest mosque is about 30/45 minutes away, and I can’t really travel there 2/3 times in the middle of a working day.
• The building in question has been previously condemned. However, due to the lack of alternative accommodation options on unit, it is now considered safe for habitation. There have been times we haven’t had hot water for multiple days on end. Regarding water, we are also at a significantly higher risk of legionnaires disease as opposed to the counterparts that live in the local area. This poses a serious health risk and can have a detrimental impact to my way of life.
• Another health risk is the presence of asbestos within the building, which should be another cause for concern. As mentioned, the building was previously condemned; to that extent, was it condemned due to the presence of this asbestos? It poses another serious health risk, and we should have been provided with this information prior to moving into the accommodation, not just a small sticker which is placed on the ceiling which a person would’ve give a second glance to. The people that commission these buildings to live in don’t live in them themselves, so it is easy for them to say that there is no problem.
• The provided kitchen facilities are inadequate and do not meet the standards typically expected in residential accommodations. I mentioned that it is a transit block I reside in; however, if you’re expected to live in this block indefinitely then surely contingencies are in place for basic cooking appliances. We didn’t have a microwave for over 6 months when I first moved in; aside from the fridges, the only items in the kitchen (i.e., toaster, air fryer) belong to other residents within the accommodation. This situation places residents in a position where they are compelled to dine in the mess, which is another issue as the mess here at RAF Odiham is inadequate and they never have enough food for service personnel and when there is not enough food, they moan about having to make more. This in turn occurs additional costs on service personnel. Not only that, but the mess is only open at set times, so if for whatever reason the personnel miss the time, they effectively will go the evening without eating, which can have a detrimental impact on their work performance.
• With 3 toilets and showers shared by a total of 23 occupants, the accommodation may adhere to ‘basic requirements’ however they are not very practical, especially if service personnel all have work at the same time, it causes a backlog in the mornings, and even the evenings when personnel finish work. Adequate access to sanitary amenities is crucial to maintain a reasonable standard of living.
• 2 of the toilets are merged with 2 of the (working) showers. This situation presents an issue, especially in our block as it is a mixed-gender block, as some female residents have felt uncomfortable in the presence of male residents while they are showering, and the male resident is using the toilet. This issue has been raised in the past but to no avail. It is important to ensure that facilities are designed to prioritise privacy, comfort, and ensure a safe space for all residents.
• When reporting issues within the block, depending on the ‘priority’ of the issue, it may take days or weeks before the issue is rectified.

The issue this station has is the initial fact its RAF owned but ARMY run. This means that we have been led to believe that if new accommodation was to be built after securing funding, we wouldn’t see work being carried out within 5-10 years. This is unacceptable, as the Station commanders rotate every 3 years, and this issue gets forgotten about due to lack of consistency. We all know within each service that DIO do not want to spend any money that is not necessary, so the blocks are not getting put up to modern day code and no more are being built.

These blocks are not sufficient to meet the HMO standard within the Civilian world, so why should we as protectors of the realm have to live in slum accommodation, and in some cases in the civilian world some people do not pay for this accommodation, but we do. There was a big push to put people in “Surplus Houses” but now I know of 3 persons within my work area that do qualify for houses due to marriage, children, and compassionate reasons. But then you have the likes of a single person living in a 3-bedroom house garage and garden and the personnel who really do require it are left in the block waiting and causing strain on their mental health and relationships.

In conclusion, the accommodation in question presents several significant challenges and concerns for service personnel. It should not be accepted that when there are ‘block visits’ by senior figures, that service personnel are expected to deep clean and essentially keep outdated buildings that are illegal and not suitable for habitation clean so that the accommodation doesn’t look as bad as it factually is.

24 October 2023