Homes in London high-rises left 'wet and cold' after cladding removed
Hundreds of residents living in high-rise blocks close to Grenfell Tower say the stripping of flammable cladding has left their homes wet and cold and has forced them to choose between paying extra to heat their properties or eating.
Residents of Adair and Hazlewood towers, two 14-storey blocks containing 156 one- and two-bedroom flats, were informed by Kensington and Chelsea council in November 2018 that work to replace the insulation render on the outside of their blocks needed to be carried out urgently. Council chiefs told them the cladding on the two tower blocks was a “substantial” fire hazard.
While the insulation materials – known as EPS (expanded polystyrene) – are not the same as those used on Grenfell Tower, they are also deemed a fire risk.
Many residents have complained to Kensington and Chelsea council about problems with water, damp and condensation since the cladding was stripped off.
One resident, Darren Turner, said: “We’ve got pools of water in our flats as well as damp and condensation that were not there before the cladding was removed.
“The council has installed heaters but they have made little if any difference. All of our heating bills have gone through the roof. The wet conditions are very bad for people like me who suffer from asthma.” He said many residents were unable to afford the increased heating bills and had been left freezing in their homes.
Carolyn Zara, a mother of three children aged three, 10 and 12, said her family had been plagued by green and black mould, wet walls and freezing conditions.
“Before the council removed the cladding I had never had any of these problems in my flat and I’ve lived here since 2010,” she said. “My heating bills have increased from £36 per month to £86 per month since the cladding was removed. It’s been a complete nightmare.”
She said the wall in her flat that faces Grenfell Tower is where she has had the biggest issues with damp and mould. “My flat has been redecorated because of all the problems. The work was finished last Thursday but already I can see the wetness coming back. I’m having to keep my windows open but it’s so cold at the moment.”
Turner said: “The removal of the cladding has left the building like a sponge … It just soaks up all the water. It’s like going outside in the rain without a coat on. Some residents have been left with a choice between heating or eating as they cannot afford the cost of both food and the increased fuel bills.”
Kensington & Chelsea council told the Guardian it is not planning to install new cladding to insulate the blocks until July
Another resident, Sue Duggins, said many residents were having problems in their homes after the council removed the flammable cladding from the blocks and that Hazlewood has been worse affected than Adair.
“The council should have pre-empted the problems that have occurred after they removed the cladding,” she said.
The Grenfell inquiry hearings will resume on Monday with a focus on the selection of cladding panels, their fire testing, marketing and promotion.
A spokesman for Kensington and Chelsea council said not every case of damp in the two blocks was attributable to the removal of cladding.
“Safety is our number one priority and we removed insulation on Hazlewood and Adair towers to ensure the highest levels of fire safety in our housing. We have listened to our residents’ concerns about damp and cold and have knocked on the doors of all properties to individually assess residents’ needs. We have enhanced the heating capacity to the blocks and have provided a tailored response to individual concerns.”
Residents have also expressed concern that the basement of Hazlewood Tower has been leased to a company and large quantities of alcohol are stored there.
They say it is insensitive to store so much flammable material in the block after the Grenfell disaster.
The council spokesman said: “A company based on the ground floor of Hazlewood Tower stores bottles of vodka in sealed containers, on metal racks in a well-ventilated, locked room with a concrete floor and no nearby ignition source. The vodka is a maximum of 40% alcohol by volume, which is not flammable at room temperature. The shop and associated store are fully compartmented from residential areas and a small premises fire risk assessment on 31 January 2019 concluded that there are suitable control measures in place for any fire hazards.”
Turner said: “We are struggling to understand how the council can store all these flammable liquids in our block after everything we have experienced as a community due to the Grenfell fire.”
He said that as well as living in fear of the alcohol igniting and causing a fire in the block residents are concerned about the damage the cold and wetness is causing to their homes because of the removal of the cladding.
The cladding on the two blocks, which were built in 1958, was installed in 1992 and 1993. The council decided that following the Grenfell fire the removal of the cladding was so urgent that it waived tendering requirements.
