Works to replace unsafe 'high fire risk' cladding on Thamesmead blocks
A housing developer will replace the unsafe 'high fire risk' cladding of eight Thamesmead tower blocks but residents remain frustrated, feeling the job is only half-finished.
Residents of Royal Artillery Quays (RAQ) have campaigned for over half a decade to make their home safe after several investigations identified building defects in the residential complex that posed a serious fire risk.
As previously reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), chartered engineering and advisory firm Urban Change gave all eight buildings a high fire risk rating in 2022 primarily due to the 'poor workmanship' it identified in the installation of the external wall insulation (EWI) system.
Urban Change found that fire break fixings were missing, not regularly spaced and made of plastic and not steel, making them more susceptible to failure if exposed to fire.
The investigation also discovered that the expanded polystyrene (EPS) render system in the EWI wasn't thick enough, with the report stating: 'This could lead to early exposure of the combustible insulation to fire.'
Barratt Developments, the original developer of the eight block complex that was built in 2002, has announced that work to remediate the problems found within RAQ's external walls will begin this month, at no cost to leaseholders.
These works are based on the recommendations of the Urban Change report and have recently been approved by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).
A Barratt spokesperson said: 'As the original developer for Royal Artillery Quays, we remain committed to remediating any fire safety issues identified in the original construction of the buildings, at no cost to leaseholders, in line with our obligations under the Developer Remediation Contract we signed in March 2023.
'Now that the external wall remediation designs have been approved by the Building Safety Regulator, we look forward to starting works in mid-late June.'
The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that the work will involve the removal and replacement of the EPS render system contained within RAQ's EWI that covers approximately 90 per cent of the overall development building façade, as well as any other items identified as requiring remediation.
Although pleased that this work will begin soon, RAQ residents still fear the job is not done as no plan to remedy problems found in the complex's internal walls has been offered.
RAQ's property manager Rendall & Rittner commissioned fire safety inspectors to conduct a fire stopping survey at three of the eight tower blocks in 2019.
The purpose of the survey was to test whether the internal sections and rooms within the tower blocks had sufficient structural integrity to prevent fires spreading from one part of the building to another.
In a report seen by the LDRS, the inspectors stated: 'Our survey establishes that the areas, as surveyed, currently do not meet the minimum statutory requirements, and without remedial attention it is conceivable that any fire incident could result in significant loss and possible prosecution of The Responsible Person(s) and their individual Duty Holders.'
RAQ resident George Boyd said: 'Crucially, the internal remediation work has not yet been approved.
"We are aware of the potential for extensive costs, as evidenced by the £432 million spent to rectify similar internal defects at Olympic Village.
'Disturbingly, fire safety reports for RAQ, including the Gresham IMS report, highlight the serious nature of these internal defects, even suggesting the possibility of prosecutions in the event of a fire.'
Mr Boyd also fears that the external wall remediation work won't go far enough either, as Urban Change stated that only the first two storeys of aluminium corner panels on RAQ's fire escape staircases would need to be replaced, despite the insulation of these panels having a Euroclass rating of E, the second most combustible rating in the fire class system.
Urban Change said: 'The other corner panels higher up the stair core are not being replaced as there are no ignition sources externally or internally.'
Mr Boyd was critical of this, claiming that this decision will condemn RAQ residents to permanently higher insurance.
He said: 'While the external wall remediation is approved, we are deeply concerned that combustible materials, now prohibited in new constructions, will remain within our fire escape stairwells.
'Insurers have indicated that this will lead to permanently high insurance premiums, likely further increasing our already substantial monthly service charges.
Furthermore, real estate experts have advised that this partial remediation, sanctioned by the BSR, is likely to have a significant negative impact on the value of our properties.
'As a long-term resident nearing retirement, my flat represents my life investments, and this continued devaluation is a major worry.'
Another RAQ resident Sue McDougall said the remediation work 'will not make me feel safe' due to the lack of internal work being carried out.
She said: 'Am I and other residents celebrating? Unfortunately, the answer from many of us is not yet.'
Steve Day, chair of the Royal Artillery Quays Residents association, has been campaigning to rectify the fire safety problems at RAQ for over five years.
He has been critical of Greenwich Council for not backing residents' claims that Barratt breached building regulations during the development's construction over 20 years ago.
He said: 'We welcome the work starting on the external wall remediation, but are concerned that the internal remediation hasn't yet been scoped and signed off.
'The undermining of all our evidence by the council of building safety breaches at the time of construction severely hampers our campaign to ensure our internal remediations are done to the standards that are required.'
Mr Day referred to an email seen by the LDRS that was sent to him by Greenwich councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan on April 22 which stated: 'There is no evidence to suggest that the works were in breach of the Building Regulations applicable at the time of construction.'
In response to Barratt's announcement that the BSR had approved the EWI remediation work, a Greenwich Council spokesperson said: 'We believe strongly that everyone in Royal Greenwich should have a safe and secure home.
'Royal Artillery Quays is a private development, and its cladding is the developer's responsibility.
"We will continue to engage with residents and stakeholders as appropriate to ensure necessary action is taken.
'While we remain neutral in terms of the building's original construction, we're pleased a scheme of work, proposed by the developer, has now been agreed by the Building Safety Regulator and we understand that works are due to begin by the end of June 2025 to bring all buildings to the BSR standards.
'There are no specific powers available to the council to speed up the developer's process. Our priority is ensuring a swift resolution, mediating where appropriate, to ensure the works agreed between the developer and BSR are completed.'
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