Inside UK’s coldest street where mouldy walls ‘ruin Christmas’ and desperate pensioners are left to ‘suffer in silence’
AN elderly woman wrapped in an oversized coat shivers as she strolls along the roadside.
Armed with thick gloves and a scarf, she braves the freezing weather while edging around patches of ice in her path.
This is Oakworth Road and West Lane in Keighley, West
Yorkshire, which has been named the coldest street in the UK.
According to data from Friends of the Earth, the street has the highest number of homes with poor energy performance.
Thirteen per cent of houses have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of F and G - meaning their heating is inefficient. The average rating in England and Wales is D.
Many residents living in the area say they have suffered mould and damp in their homes as a result of the freezing temperatures.
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And some even say they will not buy expensive Christmas gifts because they get wrecked in the torrid conditions.
Mould in every room
Joanne Armstrong's house is so cold it was ridden with mould for years.
The 48-year-old said: "We had mould in every room.
"It was all over the walls, wardrobes and beds. You couldn't escape it.
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"I had to re-decorate because of it, which cost me a few hundred pounds.
"My son and I had asthma so it had a detrimental impact on our health.
"I couldn't have anyone over because of the smell, I became really
conscious of my home and isolated myself."
"The mould got all over expensive items of clothing," she adds. "No one should have to live in those conditions.
"We eventually got loft insulation and an air conditioning fan. It's still
freezing cold, but it's nowhere near as bad as it was before."
Shocking images show the cleaner's property, managed by Incommunities housing association, covered in dark mould.
The disgusting fungus also latched on to her sofa and grew over the walls in her son's room.
She also invited us into her mother's home, on the same street, to reveal windows dripping with condensation and mould growing on the panes.
Yet Joanne says her energy bill has rocketed from £15 per month to £100.
She added: "It's so cold on a morning I can see my breath.
"It's freezing and you can't keep warm.
"I whack the heating on full blast and it doesn't make a difference.
"We have to sit in fluffy pyjamas and hoodies.
"The energy prices have soared and we can barely afford to keep the heating on.
"We're going to have to make do over the winter as otherwise we'll freeze to but I'm already in £2,000 debt with the energy company."
'It spoiled Christmas'
The mother-of-two said the issue was so bad it ruined Christmas for her family as they feared any presents would be layered with mould within a couple of months.
She added: "It spoiled Christmas because we didn't want to buy presents, or anything for that matter.
"I had some collectors' items and expensive shoes that were completely covered in mould within a couple of months.
"We were worried about electronics being plugged in, including Christmas decorations, because it was dangerous as the walls were damp.
"We're also unable to use the loft now because of all the issues so we have to store our Christmas decorations and tree in the shed outside which leaks so it could break the lights or completely destroy them."
The 1.5 mile stretch of road consists of stone semis and terraced homes, many of them built with no insulation.
Oakworth Road is also peppered with local stores, including a butchers, bakers and a hairdressers.
Mark Curtis, a semi-retired builder, claims the homes are too old to fit
insulation, leaving many pensioners struggling to keep warm this winter.
He says not all the houses on the street have central heating, with some pensioners unable to afford the expense of having it fitted.
The 62-year-old, who has lived in Keighley all of his life and owns his
house, said: "Many of the homes were built in the 1930s or even 1850s.
"To fit insulation would cost a good few grand and it isn't as simple as
the Government giving local authorities a grant to do that, it's more complex.
"Having insulation would help people to fend off the cold but if you can't afford it or you aren't eligible it's harder to keep these houses warm.
"We have central heating so we're okay at the moment but we left it off last night and when we got up it was absolutely freezing.
"I had to sprint to switch it on to get the temperature up.
"If you're an elderly person living around here and can't afford to pay for central heating you would find it hard.
"I can imagine a lot of them will stay in bed and put a coat on – and
suffer in silence.
"I am surprised it's the coldest street in the UK, though. I didn't think
it would be that bad."
Brian Northing, 79, has lived in his terraced house, which he owns, for 37 years.
The three-bedroom home, which was built in 1936, was only fitted with central heating last year. Before then, Brian was forced to sit in jumpers and blankets.
The retired textile manufacturer said: "You can certainly believe it's the coldest road with how cold it was when I got out of bed this morning.
"It's freezing. We had to get central heating last year because it was so cold.
"Without it, you can't heat the house. You would have to use a coal fire in the living room like they did a few decades ago.
"Before the heating was put in, I had to wrap myself in blankets and sit in jumpers and gloves it was so cold.
"My gas bill has doubled since last year. It was £43 and now it's £80.
"I don't stay in my home for Christmas but I go to another property in the area and that's also very cold."
Allan Lobley, 63, a retired banker, said: "I'm surprised it's been named as the coldest street in the UK, I wouldn't have expected that.
"We have central heating so it isn't that bad for us but we have had to increase our direct debit to cover the costs as it is starting to get cold now.
"I think we'll only know how much it's costing us in a few months' time
when we get a final bill."
Another resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "It does get quite cold around here in these houses.
"My bills are around £400 per month just to heat my home.
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"If we didn't have central heating, we would all be wrapped in blankets and jumpers."
The Sun has contacted Incommunities housing association for comment.