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Council to demolish three more blocks over collapse risk
A Midlands council has asked the government for financial help to demolish three tower blocks over fears of progressive collapse in a fire.
Rugby Borough Council’s cabinet agreed on Tuesday to replace the three 11-storey towers at Rounds Gardens with at least 221 new affordable homes.
A structural survey carried out by the Building Research Establishment found that “all the floors in all three blocks are not strong enough to guarantee that they would be able to resist failure” in a serious fire or explosion, according to a report before the cabinet meeting.
The blocks were constructed 50 years ago using the Bison large panel system (LPS) and are currently home to 174 households.
They do not contain any piped gas and were strengthened about 25 years ago, the council report said.
However, their floors and walls “were found to be thinner than anticipated and thinner than the normal design thickness seen in this type of construction”, with an “important structural floor connection” missing in several places.
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In September, the Conservative-led council also decided to demolish two other LPS blocks at Biart Place, because of safety concerns.
This week’s council report said: “The structural findings in respect of the blocks at both sites [Rounds Garden and Biart Place], which account for almost 10% in total of the council’s [Housing Revenue Account (HRA)] stock, were unanticipated.
“The measures required to respond to these findings will have an extraordinary impact on the HRA’s financial resources, which will impact on its ability to meet both current and emerging housing needs.
“This will, in turn, have a potential impact on the general fund, as unmet housing need has to be increasingly met via temporary accommodation.
“The council has approached [the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government] to establish what financial support they are able to provide to respond to these issues and is awaiting a response from the secretary of state.”
Demolishing and rebuilding the Rounds Gardens blocks will cost an estimated £28m, not including decant compensation costs of up to £10,000 per household and survey, design and legal fees.
Together with the Biart Place costs, that means the council’s HRA will require as much as £60m of capital spending in 2019/20.
However, refurbishing Rounds Gardens would cost an estimated £30m, the council said.
Waking watches are in the three towers, with the ‘stay put’ policy changed to an evacuation strategy in March 2018, and new fire alarm systems are being installed.
However, the council said these measures “are not a long-term solution”.
Instead, it will seek to empty the blocks by the end of March 2022 for demolition.
Work to find alternative homes for tenants is currently “being intensified”, including arranging private sector leases for temporary accommodation, buying up homes and discussing options with housing associations.
Tenants will be moved out “on a permanent basis, with no guarantee to return to the new scheme”.
Michael Stokes, leader of Rugby Council, said: “The multi-storey blocks at Rounds Gardens and at Biart Place have stood safely since they were built around 50 years ago, but it is disappointing to find that the build quality at both sites, even though built by different contractors, has been poor.
“While we never wanted to be in the position of regenerating two town centre sites, we now have an opportunity to provide brand new, high-quality council housing that better meets the needs of current and future tenants.
“The total costs for both sites is substantial at around £60m, and I am grateful that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is considering what help the government could provide to mitigate this impact.”
Housing minister Kit Malthouse said: “I am pleased that Rugby Borough Council acted quickly and decisively to ensure the safety of their residents.
“Last year we lifted the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap to allow councils to deliver a new generation of council housing.”
Local government minister Rishi Sunak visited both Biart Place and Rounds Gardens on Thursday to discuss the council’s plans for redevelopment of the sites.
Update: at 9.30am 11/02/19 a comment from MHCLG was added to the story.
