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Residents locked out from balconies at London block with ‘potentially combustible insulation’
A London council is taking action to stop residents accessing their balconies at a housing block that is currently being decanted because of fears over combustible insulation.
Hackney Council said it will be “securing” balcony doors at Bridport House to “prevent access”, as residents have ignored warnings from the authority that they are unsafe.
The council warned tenants in March after a piece of one of the balconies reportedly fell off from the second floor. Protective netting was installed by the local authority as a precautionary measure.
The award-winning eight-storey building has been deluged by problems since it was built in 2011.
In August, the council took the decision to decant the 41 families living in the building over a 12-month period to replace “incorrect insulation” it claims did not meet building regulations.
However, the council has since admitted that its building control team decided the external wall of Bridport House was “satisfactory overall”, despite including a non-compliant material.
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In the latest letter to residents, published late last month, Ajman Ali, acting group director for neighbourhood and housing at Hackney Council, wrote: “It’s really important that you do not use your balcony, as it is not safe to use.
“As we have said since March, this is not just for your own safety but for that of your neighbours. Because some residents have continued to use their balcony despite this, we will be securing balcony doors over the next few weeks to prevent access.
"We are sorry for any disruption this may cause you, and we are only doing this as a last resort – but it is important for everyone’s safety.”
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A new fire alarm system has been installed at Bridport House, the letter revealed, which Mr Ali said will “eventually” replace the round-the-clock fire wardens. However, “teething problems” have seen the alarm alerting the fire brigade even when there has been no issue, the letter said.
Mr Ali also reiterated to residents that Bridport House is a ‘get out’ block, which means people should evacuate immediately if the alarm sounds. The standard stay put policy was abandoned for the building in April.
Earlier this year, it emerged the council was considering demolishing the block. But the authority decided in September that it will repair the block instead.
The remediation project is expected to take three years and cost £6m, plus a £2.5m rehousing bill.
The council also revealed in August that it was taking legal action against the contractor that built the flats, Willmott Partnership Homes (WPH), which is part of Willmott Dixon.
A Hackney Council spokesperson confirmed to Inside Housing that it is still planning to go ahead with legal action.
Willmott Dixon previously said it was “disappointed” with the way the council had portrayed the problems and did not accept many of the authority’s statements.
It comes after it emerged last month that Camden Council is pursuing legal action against Grenfell contractor Rydon, among other firms, over work done on the Chalcots Estate.
A number of large housing associations – including Hyde, L&Q and Catalyst – are also pursing legal action against contractors over the costs of remedial work arising from post-Grenfell checks.
