Leaseholders locked in dispute with developers over cladding issues
By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter
Greenwich leaseholders have found themselves in a dispute with the developer for their homes over the safety of the buildings’ cladding. The issue has left residents with ‘crippling’ service charge bills and fears that they are unable to sell their flats.
The Thamesmead complex consists of eight blocks up to 14 storeys-tall and was built in 2002 by Barratt Developments.
Steve Day, 43, moved into Royal Artillery Quays (RAQ) as a leaseholder in 2016.
He said his concerns on the fire safety of his block began around five years ago when the London fire brigade (LFB) flagged several matters which were required to be resolved.
This led to £1.3million being spent by Barratt on internal compartmentation works for flats and employing fire wardens to constantly patrol the estate.
Mr Day said: “These are people that stare at your building 24/7 looking for a fire. You can imagine what effect that has on the mental health of your neighbours.”
An email sent by Saint-Gobain – manufacturer of the cladding used on RAQ – to Mr Day in September 2021, appears to state the manufacturers found insufficient fixings used in one of the blocks after an investigation it carried out.
Saint-Gobain’s investigation also found the adhesive used to fix the insulation in the building was not applied as recommended.
Mr Day said: “In this development we have shown beyond all doubt that Barratt put our lives at risk for 22 years.
“This block is using plastic fixings and we know how plastic performs under a flame.”
A November 2020 report from Capital property consultants on the cladding at RAQ also found the existing external cladding on the building did not comply with the manufacturer’s installation requirements or building regulations at the time of construction.
The report suggested replacing the external cladding system as well as the spandrel panels on the building to achieve a fire safety rating of at least A2.
But, a letter sent to RAQ residents by Barratt in December 2020, claimed the developer disagreed with many of the conclusions reached in the Capital report, adding that the company’s consultants felt the building may still be safe without the need to remove its external cladding.
A Barratt spokesperson said that all letters issued by the company before January 2022 were based on superseded assessments and are not reflective of the developer’s current approach to building safety.
They claimed this was due to the fire risk assessment process that was introduced by the British Standards Institute, representing the government prescribed approach to high-rise building remediation works.
A fire risk assessment report from July 2022 by Urban Change confirmed many of the findings made during Saint-Gobain’s assessment. They found RAQ blocks were at high risk of rapid fire spread due to their external wall construction and the blocks were given a rating of B2.
It was suggested that the external cladding on all blocks should be replaced, but that only panels in specified areas, such as beside fire escapes, should be removed.
Mr Day claimed he and other RAQ residents feel that the report from Urban Change should have determined the manufacturer and fire performance of the buildings’ panels before stating they did not need to be fully replaced.
A letter sent to Mr Day by Barratt in June this year claimed it would be inappropriate for Barratt to change its approach to remediation works at RAQ as a result of pressure from leaseholders as it would set a precedent of forcing ‘unnecessary and potentially very disruptive’ remediation work on thousands of residents.
Mr Day said: “They are now proposing to leave flammable material on homes. You have no justification for doing so. You need to go the extra mile, question the risk and take all flammable material off our homes and commit to doing so.”
Barratt told residents in March of this year that the remedial works set out in the Urban Change report would begin in July 2024, and be completed by summer 2026.
But, residents claimed the works have still not started.
Barratt confirmed that the works it has planned to carry out on RAQ would give the development a B1 fire safety rating.
They said: “As founding signatories to the Building Safety Charter, we have always been clear we will carry out any necessary remediation at historic buildings at no cost to leaseholders. Any remediation will be carried out in line with a Fire Risk Assessment by a qualified fire engineer, and approved by the Building Safety Regulator.
“At Royal Artillery Quays, we are currently awaiting approval from the BSR and are well placed to start on site as soon as this is received.”
Pictured top: Royal Artillery Quays residents shown outside a block in the development (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)