Residents of eight tower blocks in southeastern London have expressed their dissatisfaction over the fact that the project to replace the cladding deemed to be a “high fire risk” is “only partially completed.”
Inhabitants of Royal Artillery Quays (RAQ) in Thamesmead have been advocating for over five years to ensure the safety of their homes after various assessments revealed significant fire hazards.
The engineering firm Urban Change evaluated the buildings and assigned a high fire risk rating in 2022, largely because of the “subpar workmanship” found in the installation of the external wall insulation (EWI) system.
Barratt Developments, the company that initially constructed the buildings, announced that remedial work on the external wall issues is set to commence this month.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported that Urban Change identified several serious deficiencies, including missing fire break fixings that were not only poorly spaced but also made of plastic instead of steel, rendering them more vulnerable to failure during a fire.
Additionally, the investigation revealed that the expanded polystyrene (EPS) render system used in the EWI was insufficiently thick, with the report indicating this could result in the combustible insulation being exposed to fire sooner than expected.
The remediation efforts to be carried out by Barratt Developments, which built the complex in 2002, will follow the recommendations set forth in the report and have recently received the Building Safety Regulator’s (BSR) approval.
A spokesperson for Barratt stated, “We remain dedicated to addressing any fire safety concerns identified during the original construction, at no expense to leaseholders.”
However, residents of RAQ have indicated ongoing worries as no plan has been provided to address issues discovered within the complex’s internal walls.
In 2019, RAQ’s property manager, Rendall & Rittner, hired fire safety inspectors to conduct a fire stopping survey on three of the eight tower blocks, which revealed that certain areas did not meet minimum statutory standards.
Resident George Boyd remarked, “Alarmingly, fire safety reports underscore the seriousness of these internal defects, even suggesting potential prosecutions in the event of a fire.”
Mr. Boyd also expressed concern that the planned external wall remediation might be insufficient, as Urban Change indicated that only the first two storeys of aluminum corner panels on the fire escape staircases would be replaced—despite these panels having a Euroclass rating of E, the second most combustible classification.
Urban Change noted, “The other corner panels higher up the stair core are not being replaced since there are no ignition sources either externally or internally.”
Steve Day, chair of RAQ, has criticized Greenwich Council for not supporting the residents’ claims that Barratt violated building regulations during the construction of the development over two decades ago.
Mr. Day referred to an email shared with the LDRS from a Greenwich councillor dated April 22, which stated: “There is no evidence to suggest that the works were in violation of the building regulations in effect at the time of construction.”
In reaction to Barratt’s announcement regarding the regulator’s approval of the EWI remediation work, a spokesperson for Greenwich Council stated, “We firmly believe that everyone in Royal Greenwich deserves a safe and secure home. Royal Artillery Quays is a private development, and the responsibility for its cladding lies with the developer. We will continue to engage with residents and stakeholders to ensure the necessary actions are taken.”
