SAC0043

Written evidence submitted by Jack Wilkins

 

I have been living in tempest block (SLA) at RAF Odiham since July 2021, over this time promises have been made about improvement to the living standards, but little has improved. I have had issues from no hot water for months on end especially in the winter months, mushrooms growing from the carpet from damp and water ingress and little input from work services who rectified the fault by just cleaning and damp carpets frequently.

 

-I believe habitable living conditions is a right despite the price. I pay £35 a month but I would happily pay more each month to accommodate a basic standard of hygiene within the blocks, I believe other camps pay more and have heard they have much nicer rooms and better cooking facilities. I spend at least 3 weekends a month on camp and feel the cooking facilities are bad. With the mess also being poor and most of the time there is not enough food to go round. I would like the option to cook in the ‘kitchen’ but a toaster and microwave does not facilitate this, which look like they have been in the block for along time and not been replaced lately.

 

-Infrastructure in the block is very poor with only two plugs working for 2 washing machines and 2 tumble dryers and the washing machines leaking constantly. Carpets are always damp and giving a horrible odour throughout the block. This problem is what I believe, led to mushrooms sprouting from the carpets(I have added a photo below) in the corridors.

Nothing was done other than them being removed, underneath the carpets must be in very bad order. Besides being inhabitable, mushrooms growing is not healthy for human inhalation giving off spores. Also, no hot water for months especially during the winter and heating that is not intermittent is not acceptable.

 

-Basic cleaning appliances that are provided are inadequate. The vacuum cleaners are in bad condition as the motors are burnt out and have suction issues.

 

-Recently 2 new showers were installed in the block as the old ones were leaking, which is the only major improvement I have seen in the block in the 2 plus years I have been living in it. Although they are nice there are many other things that need attention.

-Promises to improvements in 5-10 years are no use to anyone, action is needed now because most of the people on unit will be posted away. But the hierarchy use this bright future as an excuse for it not to change now, as whenever anyone asks what is being done we are given the same line, ”all accommodation at RAF Odiham is being improved by 2030”. I also think retention of personal in the Military will improve if standard of accommodation increases, for example many people I know recently have left the RAF due to standard of living with accommodation being a large factor.

 

-The most uncomforting thing about the blocks is that I feel everyone has accepted the standard we have because it feels nothing is done in reasonable time to fix issues with infrastructure and the overall hygiene.

I saw this in the corridor in my block the same carpet is their now and must not be free from anything growing under them.

 

 

 

 

Above is the state of one corridor in the block, unlike other times this is not from leaky shows/poor drainage. Was a horrible smell throughout the whole of upstairs.

 

 

Above is the downstairs corridor where the mushrooms where growing, this was in a damp state for 3-4 weeks. A couple months later the mushrooms started growing.

 

25 October 2023