A resident at one of the 'freezing' blocks of flats in Pendleton, which has been left without cladding for years, invited Salford's City Mayor to spend the night at her flat.
Eithne Crowson, 69, who lives in Holm Court, spoke at a council scrutiny meeting on Monday, February 28, after a decision to increase the rent in the nine tower blocks by 4.1 per cent was 'called in' by Tory councillors.
"I would like to ask the mayor... if he would like to stay in my house for a night or two.
"You've got to see what other people are going through," she said.
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"You're all going home to nice warm housing, I'm not," Eithne added, pointing towards the panel of councillors.
The Growth & Prosperity Scrutiny Panel made the 'unprecedented' decision to send the rent increase back to the City Mayor, Paul Dennett, for proportionality.
"This has not happened before. We've never managed to turn all the Labour councillors against the Labour Mayor," said Conservative Councillor Robin Garrido, who was first to 'call in' the decision.
Eight of the panel voted to send the decision back to Coun Dennett, with two abstaining, and none voting against.
Coun Garrido said: "This is an unpresented decision and it was a victory for common sense. There was an injustice against the tenants. I managed to convince all members of the committee it wasn't right."
Coun Garrido, together with fellow Conservative committee member Darren Ward, argued that the increased service charges and rent 'are not proportionate to the service received based on the reduced services and facilities received over the last five years'.
Coun Garrido told the meeting that freezing the rent increase would not 'be forever' - but that residents should not be paying the increase until their flats are 'up to standard'.
"I can't get to bed at night thinking about what we're doing to these tenants," he said.
Coun Ward said: "It's dreadful to make these tenants pay an increase in rent. We need to put our house back in order before we ask for a rent increase."
Photographs were shown to the scrutiny meeting showing the 'state of disrepair' in many of the flats and details were given on how cladding was removed from the nine blocks and still not replaced.
The Tory councillor brought a letter sent to residents by Pendleton Together, who manage the council-owned properties, to the attention of the meeting.
It advised them to 'wear a hat and gloves' and 'don't drink alcohol' to in order to keep warm.
Residents have previously told the Manchester Evening News of their increased heating costs since the cladding was removed.
Over 15 of them arrived at the meeting on Monday night, despite the short notice and rainy weather.
Robert Vaudrey, who lives in Holm Court, arrived with his wife and young daughter.
He said that the £30 a month being handed out to residents during the winter months to help with increased heating costs isn't enough.
"The rest of the year we have to put on £40 a week. We just run it because we've got no cladding," he told the meeting.
The City Major thanked the members of the public for 'asking some really important questions' and said that he needs 'to look at these costs that are skyrocketing'.
But he stood by his decision to increase the rent for the nine blocks.
He said that the 'the decision we took is the right decision' - and that it's not because he doesn't 'care about the issues'.
"It's pretty scandalous really that we find ourselves in this position today," he said.
He said that the rent setting is determined by 'central government policy' and is based on inflation.
He also explained that the council is 'bound' by the PFI (private finance initiative) contract it entered into with Pendleton Together - who run the council owned properties - which means that it has to pay them an extra seven per cent 'year on year'
The mayor highlighted that a hardship fund to support households facing financial difficulties will also be set up, using £216,000 of additional income.
"I think that the decision that we have taken is the best decision at this point in time," he said.
"This is the best solution to get money into the City of Salford," he added.
Labour Councillor Michael Thomas Pevitt called the situation a 'bloody mess' in a short speech that got a round of applause from the Pendleton residents at the Civic Centre.
He said that he was 'actually shocked' by the images on the screen of the disrepairs.
"I'm totally shocked that we're asking people to live like that," he said.
"I personally wouldn't like to pay it if it was coming out of my pocket until the jobs are done," he added.
Labour Councillor Lewis Nelson said residents shouldn't be paying an additional 4.1 per cent in rent when the properties are 'not up to scratch'.
"I think it's really disappointing," he said.
The deputy mayor, John Merry, joined the scrutiny meeting via video link.
He explained that it was the government which prevented Salford council from removing and replacing the cladding sooner.
'We're doing our level best," he said.
He said that the council are Pendleton Together are working on solution 'which is going to last and not fall off the building in another two or three years time'.
When Coun Merry's continued to speak beyond the allotted time period, the chair of the committee, Councillor Rob Sharpe, warned that he would have to cut him off.
"Someone keeps muting me when I'm trying to speak," Coun Merry said.
"We're going to have to remove you from the meeting," Coun Sharpe said.
Coun Merry was then given a 'last warning' before being disconnected from the meeting.
A 4.9 per cent increase in rent has also been proposed for residents at the Duchy Caravan site which has been managed by Salford council since April 2021.
Do you live at the Duchy Caravan site? Get in touch with the MEN on newsdesk@menmedia.co.uk
