New block on the skids already – drawing a multitude of complaints

By Ben Lynch, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents living in a tower block by the Westfield shopping complex in Shepherd’s Bush have said their homes are plagued with leaks and mould, despite the block only being six years old.

Several homes in Newall Court have experienced extensive water damage, including one which had recently been evacuated due to flooding.

One of the lifts was also down and the main doors to the block did not close, with wooden panelling covering part of the entrance reportedly vandalised.

David Lewis, executive group director at L&Q, which maintains the block, said the company was sorry residents had experienced issues and recognises it has taken ‘too long’ to resolve their problems.

Newall Court sits on the edge of the Westfield, the other side of the shopping complex to Shepherd’s Bush Tube station. Its flats offer stunning views across swathes of the local area.

The White City Innovation District website describes the block as part of the Westfield development project. Westfield did not respond when approached for comment. Land Registry documents meanwhile indicate a business called White City Investment is the freeholder, having purchased the land in 2015.

Eve, who did not wish to give her second name, said when she and her family moved into Newall Court following its completion in 2019 they could not believe their luck. The location and the new, spacious homes offered plenty of promise. However, it did not take long for things to start to go wrong.

“[It’s a] beautiful building, I thought ‘oh this is perfect’,” Eve said. “I thought we were so lucky living by Westfield. And then within I’d say that first month of moving in the problems arose.”

The lifts were among the first issues, with Eve saying there has not been a single month when both have worked consistently. Eve said there have also been instances of antisocial behaviour in the building, fears for her personal safety, as well as wider problems of disrepair and vandalism.

“People defecating in the hallway, in the staircase, people having sex in the staircase, people taking drugs. We’ve had homeless people squatting in the building,” she said.

Mum of four Mandy Goggin, 33, is another resident to have had significant issues with leaks and flooding. Last June she said a major flood impacted much of her home after a sprinkler pipe burst. “My whole daughter’s bedroom was destroyed, my living room, my hallway. It’s in the boys’ bedroom as well,” she said.

Hope Williams, 36, had been forced to move in with her sister due to her home being flooded. She said her son had spotted a leak coming from the ceiling into her kitchen. She said it took her about 40 minutes to get through to L&Q, and that it was hours before someone came round to turn off the water.

Mr Lewis, from L&Q, said: “We are sorry that residents at Newall Court continue to experience issues with the maintenance of the building, and we recognise it has taken us too long to put things right.

“Due to ongoing problems with the sprinkler system, we have isolated it from the water supply to prevent any further leaks, and our specialist contractors are currently working on a long-term solution to the issue. While the sprinklers remain out of action, we have introduced a ‘waking watch’ to reassure residents about safety, and this has also helped reduce antisocial behaviour in the area.

“We are also working with specialist lift contractors to fix the communal lifts, and an engineer has been on site this week to progress repairs. A contractor is also on site this week to look at the front door and fix any issues as soon as possible, and we are looking into installing CCTV in the lifts to further improve security.”

Pictured top: Mandy Goggin, one of the disaffected residents (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)