A council in east London has indicated that it may struggle to resolve a “design issue” associated with its block of flats, where the lift shafts are prone to becoming filled with sewage.

Gulam Hussain, the director of neighbourhoods and customer services for Tower Hamlets Council, revealed that some families residing in Angela Court on Burdett Road in Mile End had to be temporarily relocated for nearly two weeks earlier this year while repairs were made to the lifts.

Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman expressed that residents had been extremely frustrated with the recurring lift failures.

He also mentioned his intention to investigate whether the developer, Canary Wharf Group, could be held responsible for the costs involved in the repairs.

According to Tower Hamlets, there have been four instances of lift failures at Angela Court since 2019, with six families needing temporary housing during the latest occurrence.

During a meeting of the council’s housing committee, Mr. Hussain explained that addressing the underlying issue would require “significant investment.”

He added, “We need to thoroughly assess whether it is even technically possible to resolve the issue.”

Mr. Hussain clarified to the committee: “The challenges lie not with the lifts themselves; rather, it’s due to the configuration of the sewage system within the blocks, which runs alongside the lift shafts.

“We routinely encounter problems with the pumps that manage this sewage, leading to lift shafts overflowing with wastewater, which then affects the electrical systems of the lifts.

“Ultimately, the core issues stem from the pumps, which we believe constitute a design flaw that is not easily rectifiable.”

Canary Wharf Group, which is the major owner of Canary Wharf, constructed Angela Court as affordable housing to meet its obligations related to a separate planning agreement. The council acquired the building in 2019.

Tower Hamlets has informed the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it is currently engaged in discussions with Canary Wharf Group regarding the design and repair concerns.

A spokesperson for the council acknowledged the lift outages at Angela Court and apologized for any disruption this may have caused to residents, adding that both lifts are now operational following temporary fixes.

“We are actively developing plans for a permanent solution to the sewage system to enhance reliability and avoid future interruptions,” the spokesperson said.

The Canary Wharf Group chose not to comment on the matter.