MAGNA Housing Association tenants living in a West Somerset village are being given ‘how to complain’ advice by their parish council.

Help is also being made available via the Timberscombe Good Neighbours scheme, which marked its fourth anniversary last month.

Timberscombe councillors agreed to send every Magna resident in the village a written copy of a complaints procedure following a Free Press exposé on how the association left dozens of vulnerable tenants across West Somerset and Exmoor without heating during the past winter.

A special investigation by Free Press reporter Mario Laghos uncovered a litany of heating system failures in Magna properties throughout the area and a lack of timely repairs.

West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger was so appalled at the findings of the Free Press inquiry that he has demanded an urgent meeting with Magna bosses.

Timberscombe councillors received a letter from Magna ahead of their monthly meeting this week, but felt ‘there seems to be a significant gap between what was said in the letter and the reality experienced by the residents’.

Parish council chairman Cllr Katherine Attwater promised to continue discussions with Somerset Cllrs Frances Nicholson and Steven Pugsley and the unitary council ‘to ensure Magna are held to account’.

The parish council also highlighted help available from volunteers who comprise the Timberscombe Good Neighbours (TGN) team.

TGN was formed during the Covid pandemic of 2020 and has since helped on hundreds of occasions throughout the parish where villagers were struggling and can be contacted on 07391870332.