Years of delays to window repairs making for miserably cold days on Lambeth estate
By Ben Lynch, Local Democracy Reporter
Residents living on a Lambeth estate say they are having to wear blankets while watching TV and fix tape to their windows due to delayed repair works leaving their homes cold and draughty.
One resident on the William Blake Estate said he and his family sometimes have to share a bed just to try and keep warm.
A spokesman for the City of London Corporation, which manages the estate, acknowledged the delays, although said they ‘will be working closely with Lambeth to start works on site’.
Windows on the William Blake Estate have been in need of repairs for a number of years. In October 2019, the Corporation filed a planning application with Lambeth council to replace single glazed timber units with double glazed UPVC or aluminium alternatives. Lambeth council approved the submission in January 2020.
The project was subsequently hit with delays, though, first due to Covid, and then the City’s Capital Programme Review. The hold-ups meant the approval for the application expired.
In a report published in September, Corporation officers wrote: “Approaches were made to the Local Planning Authority seeking an extension of time to allow us to undertake the tender pricing submissions again, but this was rejected.
“As such, we will have to undertake full planning approvals again and re-tender for the works. Due to changes in legislation the previously submitted designs will need to be respecified.”
Several residents waiting for the works to be completed have spoken out about how they have had to manage years of cold and draughty homes due to the deteriorating condition of their windows.
Victor Rawlings, 70, said all of the windows in his flat are ‘falling apart’ and the paint is coming away. He said as a landlord the City is ‘okay’, though added that the state of the windows has been an ongoing issue.
“You can see, I’ve been here 34 years, the wife’s been here about 38 years, and they’re the same windows and they’re wooden, and they are deteriorating big time,” he said.
Mr Rawlings added that while he can close the windows, gaps in the frames mean heat inevitably escapes. He said: “Because of winter and the way the bills go up, you can’t put the heating on too long because of the financial side of it. So what we do, we have a blanket wrapped around us every night while we’re watching TV so we have to use less power.”
Other residents said they were finding ways to try and mitigate the issues caused by the deteriorating windows. One resident had applied duct tape in a bid to stop both warm air escaping and cold air creeping into their home.
They added they can only open the window a little bit due to the age of the wood, and that they are worried it could break. They said: “For the kids it is really bad. It is cold, humid and because the ceilings are high, the heat goes out and because the glass is thin, you get condensation. Sometimes we put extra clothes on. Sometimes the four of us get in the bed to warm up.”
A spokesman for the City of London Corporation said: “The safety and comfort of all our residents is our number one priority. The City of London Corporation is investing £3 million into window replacements and external redecoration at William Blake Estate in Lambeth.
“The project has been delayed and we will be working closely with Lambeth to start works on site, which will be subject to planning applications and leaseholder consultation.”
Pictured top: Victor Rawlings – one of the residents of the William Blake estate (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)