A Gateshead Council tenant is planning a party after long-awaited repairs to her home begin.

Beverley Diamond, a 17-year council tenant in Beacon Lough, told the council about damp in her kitchen floor in the late summer of 2021, discovering the issue while trying to lay new tiles. After several visits to her home by the council and the work being signed off last summer, as of yesterday a damp course had not been undertaken.

However, as she was about to leave for work this morning Beverley was met by several council workers, set to begin the treatment and repairs. Beverley, 52, had previously described the wait for the work as “stressful” and “embarrassing” as she felt she couldn’t have friends and family around her house.

She was not able to put down carpets or new flooring for fear of damp ruining them. The call centre manager has also had to take multiple days off work to allow for several visits to the home which added to her financial worries.

Now, council workers will be in the house for the next four days to put things right. According to the occupant, the list of things to do includes the damp course, replastering, and a new kitchen door.

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Beverley told the local democracy reporting service this morning: “Once it’s all done I can decorate and have my house finished, I can have people round and have some relief. It will be nice to have my house looking nice.

“I’ve been in limbo for years. I’m going to have a little house party once it’s all decorated, have all the family round and say come look at my lovely house'”.

Despite the good news, Beverley was left slightly nonplussed this morning as she said she had not been told the workers were coming around this morning. Gateshead Council declined to comment when approached.