Work starts on urgent fire-proofing of complex
SCAFFOLDING has been put up around the complex adjoining Wales’ tallest residential building. The Swansea complex is in need of millions of pounds of repairs to its fireproofing.
Residents at Meridian Tower were told last year they would have to pay £5,130,057 for a controversial repair bill after a number of defects were found in the tower and the adjacent Bay and Wharf blocks.
In January, after months of speculation and legal wrangling, homeowners were relieved to have been told that the building managers, Meridian Quay Management Company (MQMC) and its agent, Corporate Residential Management (CRM) had struck a deal with an insurer to solve the fireproofing problems.
Initially residents had been told they would have to pay up to £40,000 for a “service charge” to rectify issues that were identified several years ago.
Work wasn’t started at the time because Carillion, which built the tower, went into liquidation in 2018.
Some leaseholders paid the “service charge”, but a group of residents enlisted the help of a law firm Walker Morris, and pointed to a similar case from Manchester, known as “Zagora”, where the residents’ claim was upheld.
Following the legal intervention, the leaseholders at Meridian Tower received a letter in January from CRM saying those who hadn’t already paid had been given a reprieve from paying repair costs. It read: “The Zagora appeal court decision would be critical in determining the way forward with your build warranty claims, and, consequently, cost recovery to remedy the defects.
“The judgment clarifies the legal and contractual position in respect of many issues that the insurer has contested. CRM/MQMC has instructed solicitors to write to EWIC (East West Insurance Company) following this ruling requiring them to clarify their position as a matter of urgency in light of the Zagora decision.
“CRM/MQMC continue to maintain the EWIC are liable for all costs minus one excess, to rectify the fireproofing defects at the development.
“In the light of the Zagora appeal ruling, a decision has been taken to temporarily suspend debt recovery proceedings for those leaseholders that are in default of their service charge obligations – pending clarification on EWIC’s position.”
The building management company has been contacted to confirm whether works being carried out relate to rectifying of fireproofing issues, but has not responded.
However, it was added in the letter from CRM in January that: “The internal works in the Bay and Wharf blocks should be completed by mid next year and external repair works will start mid-January.
“The scope of work required to remedy the external facade of the Tower should be known by mid next year.”