COLLEGE students from Wellington and Taunton attended a campaign in London calling for an upgrade to the quality of housing across the country.

The campaign, which was organised by Citizens UK, was held outside of Parliament Square, and saw students dress up as builders to present their call to action, which was done through song while also waving flags and banners.

Those taking part were calling on Martin McCluskey, Minister for Energy Consumers, to take a ‘fix it first’ approach to upgrading the existing housing stock in the UK, not just to build new homes that are more energy efficient.

Citizens UK said that many of those at the gathering lived in homes which were in a state of disrepair, with leaks, vermin and mould all being common.

They want the government to end disrepair for eight million people living across England who live in a home which presents a serious threat to their health and safety.

Kacey, one of the students from Taunton at the campaign, said: “I live in a house where the bathroom walls contain asbestos, and the light took six months to repair. My parents lost workdays waiting for appointments which were cancelled or delayed because of the asbestos.

“When we pulled up the flooring, we found damp and rot underneath. My sister’s foot went straight through the boards, cutting her ankle, and we had to wait nearly two weeks for it to be fixed.

“We shouldn’t have to walk on unsafe floors or live with materials that threaten our health.

“Repairs take too long, and families like mine are left feeling ignored. Housing is a basic need, not a privilege — everyone deserves a safe, healthy home.”

MP Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrats, Taunton and Wellington) also attended the event.

He was asked by Ellie, another student from Taunton, if he would write to the leaders and housing cabinet members of all Liberal Democrat councils in England, asking them to prioritise repair work alongside other measures when they’re devising their allocation of the Warm Homes Plan.

Mr Amos said: “You’re absolutely right to be campaigning on this because it's not just about the really bad repair situation we’ve heard about, it's also about saving our environment by reducing carbon emissions.

“We in the Liberal Democrats want to see £8.4-billion spent every year. That's £40-billion over five years - and an emergency home energy upgrade plan, starting with free insulation for those on low incomes and ensuring that all new homes are zero-carbon.”

Mr Amos stands as the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson for housing and communities and spoke at the gathering.

He added: “I will absolutely follow this up by writing to the councils and encouraging my colleagues to do the same.

“It was great to see Taunton and Wellington students taking up the cause of cheaper to run and warmer homes for those who need them.

“We want to see warmer homes and people’s bills cut in half, and using cheaper renewable energy will do just that, as well as reducing pollution.”