Family “left in limbo” after delays to adapted home for disabled son

A family from Ealing say they have been “left in limbo” and forced to live in hotels for weeks – and now possibly months – after Labour-run Ealing Council failed to deliver an adapted property promised for their disabled 13-year-old son.

Patrick Mccreesh, 60 and his wife Angela, 50, accepted an adapted home from the council in July 2025 for their son Ryan, 13, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy, scoliosis and autism, and is a full-time wheelchair user.

Mr Mccreesh is a full-time carer for his son, while Angela works part-time for London Underground. The property identified by the council for the family is in Northolt, which they say is ideal because it is close to Ryan’s special-needs school, John Chilton School.

The family were told the new home would be ready within 12 weeks – meaning a move by late September 2025. Acting on that advice, and at the council’s request, they sold their housing-association shared-ownership flat in Southall, completing the sale at the end of September.

Because families cannot own a home and also be offered a council property – a standard condition of local authority housing – the Mccreesh family sold their shared-ownership flat before the move.

Their previous home was unsuitable for Ryan’s needs, as it had no adaptations such as a wet room, lowered sinks, wider doorways or sufficient space for wheelchair turning.

The timeline for Ealing Council providing the new home has been pushed back several times. Mr Mccreesh said he was first told it would be ready in early October 2025, then the end of October 2025, then “late December or early January 2026,” and now February 2026.

Unable to move in, the family have been staying at a Premier Inn in Archway, north London, which they say is the only accommodation they could find with a wet room and ceiling hoist suitable for Ryan’s needs.

Mr Mccreesh said: “We acted in good faith based on what the council told us. Now we’re left without a home, with no clear answers and no one taking responsibility. Ryan’s welfare is being compromised.”

He said the family’s temporary living situation is “financially draining and unsustainable,” adding: “It’s not fair to expect any family – let alone one caring for a severely disabled child – to live indefinitely in hotel rooms, paying out of pocket, because of the council’s delays.

“This situation is not of our making. We were told to sell our home and prepare to move, but instead we’ve been left in limbo. It’s not acceptable for any family – especially one caring for a severely disabled child – to be treated this way.”

Ryan currently faces a two-hour round trip each day from Archway to his school in Northolt, which his father described as “exhausting and disruptive.”

Mr Mccreesh said he received emails from an Ealing Council housing officer stating they were “not responsible” for new-build properties and could not provide a completion date.

He is now calling on the council to confirm the current status of the works, provide a realistic handover date, and offer suitable temporary accessible accommodation until the new home is ready.

Councillor Jon Ball, Ealing Liberal Democrats housing spokesperson, told EALING.NEWS: “It is appalling that Labour-led Ealing Council has left the Mccreesh family in a completely unsuitable hotel room for months, especially as it was the council that advised the family to leave their previous accommodation. The council must find suitable temporary accommodation for the family as soon as possible and accelerate availability of their permanent home.”

Speaking to EALING.NEWS, an Ealing Council spokesperson said: “We are very sorry to hear about this family’s challenging situation. While the housing development is complete, we were informed on Friday the anticipated handover date for the property has been changed from December to February 2026.

“Given this update we are now exploring alternative housing options for the family, particularly given their need for an adapted property. We are committed to supporting them and are actively looking for suitable alternative accommodation.”