Hundreds of Thamesmead residents fear they’ll be lumped with a £13m bill to remove potentially-disastrous flammable cladding from their tower block homes, with one describing the situation as an ongoing “nightmare”.
Occupants in the Royal Artillery Quays development fear bankruptcy after being served a Section 20 notice – the first step in being charged with the costs of fire safety repairs on their building.
While an application has been made to the government’s £1 billion Building Safety Fund to cover the costs, those living at the site say they’re caught in a stressful “waiting game” until there’s a decision.
Homeowner Dave Richards has lived in one of the 418 flats in the scheme for 10 years. He also chairs the residents’ association, as well as being a part of the nationwide campaign organisation UK Cladding Action Group.
He says the potential £13m tab to fix unsafe cladding and wall insulation is the latest blow to residents, who have already had to fund a “waking watch” fire warden since the defects were identified in November 2018. That came on top of new fire alarms and fire doors, which he said totalled £800,000 for residents.
“The costs have already started to stack up, people are already struggling to survive at the moment,” he said. “It’s a depressing scenario for the residents.”
He said a poll of 85 members of the residents’ association revealed 63 per cent feared they’d be left bankrupt if no support was forthcoming. It is estimated that the remediation costs for each flat would come to roughly £40,000.
However, Mr Richards added the £13m was indicative – with the addition of 20 per cent VAT and other costs potentially seeing the total project price jump to £16m.
The £1billion Building Safety Fund was launched earlier this year to remove unsafe cladding and fire safety faults following the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy in North Kensington, in which 72 people died.
However, Mr Richards said hundreds of unsafe buildings across the country had applied to the fund – raising anxieties over if and when the RAQ would receive a decision. Until the issues are resolved, those living there are locked in for an agonising wait – with their flats essentially worthless.
“It’s a waiting game. It’s going to be a long haul game for the residents – basically none of these flats will sell until they’ve been remediated,” he said.
The riverside development was built by Barratt in 2003, with views across to Canary Wharf.
“It looks out over the docks, the airport – it’s an ideal setting that has probably now been ruined,” he said. “I just feel that this was once a home, now it’s just a nightmare.”
Both Rendall & Rittner, the management company which looks after the development, and Barratt were contacted for comment.
Last month, 853 reported on residents in a Deptford development who fear a £3 million bill for cladding in their low-rise block.
Lachlan Leeming is the Local Democracy Reporter for Bexley. The Local Democracy Reporter Service is a BBC-funded initiative to ensure councils are covered properly in local media.
See more about how 853 uses LDRS content.
853 produces public interest journalism for Greenwich and SE London and is part-funded by its readers. If you would like to help keep it running, become a member:
-
- Join us on Steady at steadyhq.com/853 – donate monthly amounts in pounds
-
- Find us on PressPatron at presspatron.com/853 – donate monthly or annual amounts in pounds
-
- We’re also on Patreon at patreon.com/853 – donate monthly amounts in dollars
Thank you for your support – the site would not exist without it.
You must be logged in to post a comment.