Tenant describes flats as being a ‘living hell’
THE deadline is looming for safety improvements at a Runcorn block of flats described as a ‘living hell’.
Castle View House on East Lane was first slapped with a fire safety notice in November and granted an extension in February, but more recently has been the scene of a string of ‘disturbances’ resulting in callouts for the police.
One tenant who contacted the Weekly News said they were paying £425 in rent a month for conditions she described as ‘a living hell’.
She said the communal bins had been set on fire and not been replaced with no organisation willing to take responsibility for replacing them, leaving the area suffering rats.
The tenant, who asked to remain anonymous, said police are ‘constantly’ there, and were ‘sick of’ asking the owners to install CCTV – a claim denied by the police who issued a statement saying it was not their place to comment on ‘commercial premises and CCTV’.
Cheshire fire service first served a safety order on the flats on November 5, and extended the notice in February.
Its conditions demand that the parties responsible for building ensure a raft of safety standards including sufficient smoke alarms, emergency exit and route signs, firefighting equipment, emergency doors that open in the direction of escape, emergency lighting and a fire assessment.
LIV Group property management has responded to the claims and the points in the notice, saying that ‘productive’ meetings have taken place with tenants, the potential for CCTV is being reviewed and a looped smoke alarm system was booked in for fitting on June 26.
Castle View House used to be a Department For Education office until its closure in 2014.
It was later sold for what one councillor described as the ‘peanut’ price of £900,000 and converted into flats under the then coalition government’s controversial permitted development rules.
Planning permission was granted in 2017 for 248 apartments, and Halton Borough Council included the block in plans for the ‘Halton Lea NHS Healthy New Town’ project, although it remains to be seen how the flats fit that agenda.
Dan Dickinson, LIV Group’s head of block management, said: “As the property managers operating alongside the owners and letting agents, LIV Group has been working closely with the Cheshire Fire And Rescue Service over the last seven months to ensure that Castle View House remains compliant as building work is completed on the top floor of the building.
“As we near the end of the project, we are confident that the site will comply with the fire service standards by the agreed upon date.
“Our residents’ safety is and remains paramount.
“During this time, we have followed the fire service’s advice on the matter, including the introduction of a 24-seven manned waking watch at the site until the work is finished. To comply with the notice issued, we are working closely with the Cheshire Fire And Rescue Service to ensure that each housing unit is compliant with the fire control and containment standards.
“Furthermore, the building’s landlord has commissioned a looped fire alarm system which will be operational as soon as the building project on the top floor is completed, which is booked in for June 26.”
On the topic of police attendances, he said: “In the past few weeks, we have received complaints from residents about several disturbances within the development.
“Urgent action has been taken to resolve the issues and the residents involved are in the process of being sanctioned.”
On CCTV he said: “We are working with the landlord to review all available options for installing a new system on the premises.
“We aim to update residents on next steps in due course.”
He added: “We remain in regular contact with the residents and have continued to work diligently with them to ensure that the development meets the high standards our communities expect from us.
“We have a dedicated development manager who handles resident enquiries and concerns.
“Additionally, we have established an open dialogue with residents and community spokespeople that has yielded some very positive outcomes for all parties.
“In addition, we have held productive one-toone sessions with residents in the recent weeks to better understand their concerns and discuss ways we can help improve moving forward.”
A Cheshire spokesman said: police “We have been investigating recent criminal damage incidents at the premises and are liaising with the owners and our colleagues at Cheshire Fire And Rescue Service to address residents’ concerns.”
A Cheshire fire service spokesman said: “Members of Cheshire Fire And Rescue Services’ protection department have visited Castle View House in East Lane, Runcorn, to address fire safety issues.
“The fire protection officers have served an enforcement notice on the premises detailing improvements that need to be made for it to adhere to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
“The deadline for the completion of this work is Wednesday, July 29, 2020.”