40 years of tower blocks campaigning and we’re still on the same issues and the same estates

The scale of the problems soon became apparent, with residents describing feeling unhappy and powerless on a variety of issues. One such example was the Freemason’s Estate, which comprised nine 22-storey large panel system tower blocks. One of these was Ronan Point, which had partially collapsed after a gas explosion in 1968, killing five people.

Although Ronan Point had been repaired and the flats re-let, by the mid 1980s the estate was considered one of the worst in Newham, with virtually all households opting for the transfer list. In 1984 the network worked alongside architect Sam Webb to survey Ronan Point and it was discovered that the block did not meet fire safety regulations and was still at risk of progressive collapse.

Residents, together with Mr Webb and the tower block network, lobbied the local authority for rehousing and after much relentless campaigning, the nine blocks were condemned. The community held a ‘blow up’ party to celebrate the demolition of the unsafe towers and the beginning of a new chapter for the more than 400 families who were to be rehoused.

“Change is coming about far too slowly. Tower Blocks UK is campaigning on the same issues that were being raised 40 years ago, and in some cases, the same problems on the same estates”

With neighbourhood participation being transformed throughout the borough, new residents’ associations were established and community activities and drop-in sessions became well attended, with tenants’ associations eventually taking over the management of activities and continuing them with momentum.

This successful model was able to be reproduced later in other areas as the campaign began to grow nationally. A satellite office was set up in Sheffield to create links with communities in the Midlands and the North of the country, and by the early 1990s, the network had published numerous resources including a Tower Blocks Directory and a fire safety check survey.

The View, a quarterly magazine that was distributed nationally, featured stories and articles on a wide range of topics such as child safety in tower blocks, asbestos and cladding. The campaign continued until the mid-1990s.

More than 20 years later, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Frances Clarke, Liz Lowe and Sam Webb came back together once again and founded Tower Blocks UK.

Tower block fire safety had come under sudden sharp focus, but they felt that without external scrutiny, unscrupulous building owners would be quick to sweep the lessons of Grenfell under the carpet and treat new recommendations as a tick-box exercise.

Spurred on by the injustice of Grenfell, they realised that the risk of further catastrophes should be tackled with vigorous campaigning, coupled with tenant empowerment initiatives.

The group’s first project was already starting to unfold on the Ledbury Estate in Peckham, where four large panel system tower blocks had been found to be at risk of progressive collapse. Tenants there had been complaining about cracks in walls for decades and had been ignored by their council landlord. Like the Ronan Point residents, Ledbury tenants formed an action group and began pressuring Southwark Council to evacuate and rehouse the estate’s 224 families. The campaign was a success and I joined Tower Blocks UK as a project worker in 2018.

“More than 20 years later, in the aftermath of the Grenfell tower tragedy, Frances Clarke, Liz Lowe and Sam Webb came back together once again and founded Tower Blocks UK”

Tower Blocks UK continues to raise awareness and, in necessary cases, alarm over the state of dangerous and defective blocks throughout the UK. More than 100,000 households around the country live in high-rise homes and many of these remain unsafe. Many large panel system blocks remain at risk of progressive collapse and suffer inherent fire safety flaws. Meanwhile leaseholders find themselves trapped in blocks covered in flammable cladding, unable to sell their properties.

Tower Blocks UK continues to call on the government to act swiftly to mitigate the risks; this must start with a thorough national audit of blocks. Large panel system blocks must be identified and dealt with, and these actions must be undertaken urgently – before we see another large-scale tower block disaster and loss of life.

Change is coming about far too slowly. Tower Blocks UK is campaigning on the same issues that were being raised 40 years ago, and in some cases the same problems on the same estates.

In September 1990 the National Tower Blocks Network undertook a spot check visit at Sporle Court, a 23-storey block in Wandsworth, and noted broken air vents at the end of the communal corridors on many floors with “a gap wide enough for a small child to fall down”. Tower Blocks UK met with residents of Sporle Court in 2021 and was informed that these broken vents were still present more than 30 years on.

As the work of Tower Blocks UK moves forward, tenants remain at the forefront – with the aim being to amplify the voices of those affected. Positive policy change and legislative refinement can only be achieved with residents leading the way, from consultation to implementation, so a seat at the table for tower block tenants is essential when it comes to housing reform.

Danielle Gregory, project manager, Tower Blocks UK