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Sadiq Khan urged to review council’s contracts over building safety concerns
The London Assembly is calling on Sadiq Khan to review his administration’s “past and existing” contracts with Barking and Dagenham Council after a high-profile incident on a new development.
A motion was proposed and unanimously agreed last week by the London Assembly, whose members hold the mayor to account.
The issue has been raised after a balcony partially collapsed at the Weavers Quarter development in Barking, east London last November. The incident received widespread media coverage.
The motion also suggests there are concerns beyond Weavers Quarter.
Conservative Andrew Boff, who is chair of the London Assembly, said: “The assembly has asked the mayor to review past and existing contracts with Barking and Dagenham Council in light of the safety issues affecting new private sector developments in that area.
“The assembly has also asked the mayor to investigate safety issues in any housing schemes that are in Barking and Dagenham that are in receipt of GLA funding.”
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The 421-home Weavers Quarter development is part of the 1960s Gascoigne Estate, which is currently being redeveloped in phases. French construction giant Bouygues built Weavers Quarter on behalf of G15 landlord L&Q.
In the wake of the incident in November, Inside Housing revealed that L&Q had asked Bouygues to investigate and repair 56 balconies on the estate two years previously.
In response to the motion, a spokesperson for Mr Khan said: “It is vital that all building owners regularly take steps to review their properties for structural issues to ensure the safety of residents.
“The mayor’s team has met with residents of the estate and is in regular contact with Barking and Dagenham Council to monitor progress and ensure these issues are resolved rapidly.”
A statement from Barking and Dagenham Council said: “The balcony fascia failure in November was the latest major ‘latent defect’ in the construction of Weavers Quarter.
“The council moved quickly to impress upon Bouygues that they needed to act to ensure all the balcony coverings on the estate were safe and we want Bouygues to address all remaining defects on the estate as a matter of urgency.
“However, the council does not have the legal powers to instruct the constructor to address defects.”
In its statement, the council, which owns the estate through its housing company Reside, added: “L&Q housing association (initially, as East Thames housing association) managed the development of the scheme, and they contracted construction firm Bouygues to build it. This means that L&Q retains the sole responsibility for serving notice on Bouygues to fix construction defects.
“Importantly, we support the assembly’s call that the government should change this arrangement and give local authorities the necessary powers to intervene and compel construction firms to address defects with newly built housing.”
Matt Lismore, chair of the Weavers Quarter Residents Association, who first revealed the balcony collapse in November, said: “The news that this amended motion has passed is very welcome.
“I am extremely concerned about the volume and severity of latent defects on new build housing in the borough, particularly stock for which the council is the freeholder. I look forward to reading the findings in due course.”
Mr Lismore had previously said that he had raised safety concerns with Darren Rodwell, the leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, 18 months prior to the balcony collapsing.
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