Swansea Resident Tells MPs All ‘Shocking’ Property Company

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell says he’s determined to keep the pressure on property management company First Port in the wake of more damning Inquiry evidence.

A packed room of MPs hears damning evidence from residents of FirstPort properties.

A resident of Swansea Point gave evidence in Parliament this week about the shocking conduct of property management firm FirstPort, one of the largest property management firms in the UK. John Douglas had been invited to give evidence to MPs by Swansea West representative Torsten Bell.

The damning evidence session featured residents of FirstPort properties from across the UK giving examples of extortionate costs, lack of transparency, failure to submit accounts, shoddy work, apathy in resolving fire safety issues and payments taken for work not carried out. Residents also accused First Port of “gas lighting” and dismissing concerns when they were raised.

Mr Douglas told the Inquiry that as well as experiencing the same issues MPs were hearing about, First Port had “completely failed” to understand the implications of post-Grenfell fire safety policies at their developments. He said, “First Port were warned back in 2021 that there were fire safety issues and that alarm systems needed upgrading at Swansea Point, yet they completely ignored this until earlier this year. To make matters worse, in March and without any notice, they imposed a fire safety waking watch regime where complete strangers suddenly appeared, walking around our developments. What should have been a short-term measure, is still in place 8 months later at a cost of £40,000 a month to owners while a new fire alarm system, promised months ago has still not been installed. First Port are proving to be an additional problem in addressing fire  safety and remediation issues.”

Swansea West MP Torsten Bell said: “In January this year, I had assurances from First Port CEO Martin King that he understood the concerns I was raising on behalf of owners in Swansea West and that things would improve. This was repeated by senior managers at a public meeting I held in April, attended by over 200 very unhappy First Port customers. But it’s clear from hearing from Mr Douglas and others that spoke at the Inquiry that things have got worse not better.

“The way First Port operate is absolutely unacceptable. People need to be able to live in their homes without the daily stress and worry First Port cause them. I won’t let this issue go and will keep up the pressure on First Port to provide the service their customers pay for and rightly deserve.”

As they press on in their push for improvements, MPs will publish and present a full report of the evidence given at the Inquiry to First Port Managing Director Martin King.