High-rise f lats to be evacuated over collapse risk

After the Grenfell tower disaster, residents raised concerns over cracks in their own buildings and inspectors turned off the gas.

structural engineers Arup investigated 242 flats in ledbury towers, south london and found that the buildings were in danger of collapsing if a gas explosion occurred. the gas supply was installed in 1968 to 1970, when the towers were built.

southwark Council said it was ‘not willing to take any risks’ with those living in four blocks – peterchurch, Bromyard, skenfirth and sarnsfield.

Danielle Giblin, 33, said her mother, who has lived in Bromyard House for almost 40 years, broke down in tears after being told she must leave.

salon owner Miss Giblin said: ‘My parents have just retired, paid rent all these years, worked their whole lives and not got a home now. i’ve lived here all my life. But i’m much more concerned about their safety. they’re in shock.’

Residents said they were instructed to move out within ‘the next few weeks’ to temporary accommodation, and have been told they can shower at a nearby leisure centre. Hannan Majid, who lives on the 12th floor of Bromyard, said the building was riddled with fissures ‘large enough to drop books through’.

the filmmaker, who has two young daughters, said: ‘there’s draughts and if someone’s smoking it comes right through. flames and smoke would come through them.

‘the council said they are normal but this is not normal. people have been complaining and ignored about this for decades.’

Danielle’s twin sister Nicola, who lives on the first floor, said: ‘it’s sad it’s taken something like Grenfell for this to be looked at. there’s cracks in all the ceilings and walls, it’s a massive job, i don’t see how they’re going to do it. You hear the block creak and think it’s going to collapse.’

A letter sent to residents stated that in 1968 the similarly constructed Ronan point in Newham partially collapsed after a gas explosion, prompting blocks around the uK to be made safe to carry a supply of the fuel.

stephanie Cryan, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing at southwark Council, said records suggested the four blocks were strengthened following the Ronan point incident.

But she added: ‘Arup’s structural investigations suggest this strengthening may not have occurred, and we have therefore turned off the gas, until further investigations can be done.

‘We are doing all we can to provide residents with alternatives while the gas is turned off, and are working up a plan to permanently replace the gas with electric ovens, boilers etc. as part of the wider works, should that be necessary.

‘We have also written to the Department of Communities and local Government to inform them of this issue, as it may well have implications for other blocks around the country that were constructed in this way.’

the authority said there were no plans to evacuate residents immediately, but said that if the process to sort alternative power for the buildings took too long it may need to offer alternative housing.

in the short term southwark Council said it was immediately providing temporary hotplates to residents, and is looking to install single electric water heaters in every flat.

the authority also said residents can have free showers at southwark’s leisure centres.

‘Cracks in all the walls’

HuNDReDs of residents are to be evacuated from high- rise flats after an investigation found their homes may not be safe.