Slough Couple Awaits Return to Fire-Damaged Apartment

Sara and Hassan, a couple evacuated over two months ago following an apartment block fire, continue to await their return home. They were residents at the Mosaic Apartments on High Street, Slough, when the building caught fire shortly after midnight on 22 August. Information received by the couple suggests the building might not be deemed safe for reoccupation until late November, leading them to reside in hotels in the interim. They have relocated five times in total, with Hassan remarking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that he understands he “needs to be patient”. Hassan detailed their stay in multiple hotels since the fire, noting that the situation has been particularly challenging due to a condition necessitating wheelchair use. He stated: “I have days when I can’t get out of bed – I’m just too tired with all the moving around and eventually I just said I’m not fit enough to move around.“There are days when it’s okay and I can move about but there are days when I can’t go down to breakfast and have to stay in bed all day because I need to rest”. The couple has now established themselves in a hotel close to Heathrow, a location that presents its own difficulties. This area is not readily accessible without a vehicle, primarily catering to airport passengers and featuring major roads with limited pedestrian pathways. Hassan spent nearly four weeks indoors at one stage, and Sara described living in hotels as feeling “quite isolating”. She elaborated that routine daily activities, such as laundry and grocery shopping, have become considerably more arduous. She further commented: “I was struggling to clean our clothes, I had to travel from this area near Heathrow to Windsor to the launderette,”. Notwithstanding these difficulties, the couple expresses an unwillingness to voice complaints and wishes to highlight the extensive help and support they have received. They conveyed their appreciation to the Mosaic building managers’ insurers and the booking agency for consistently securing accessible accommodation, and to the council for their assistance in the immediate aftermath of the fire. The couple stated they attribute no blame for the extended period required for their return home. Sara remarked: “We do understand that this is something we’re all dealing with.” Hassan appended: “I’d love to get back to my flat today but we need to be patient, we don’t have a choice,”. For updates, BBC Berkshire can be followed on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.