On Friday 14 November, we welcomed Helen Hayes, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood at our French, Finch and Margerat blocks to view the fire safety works we are undertaking.
The proposed works, being undertaken for us by Higgins Group involve removing the existing insulation and replacing it with non-combustible materials. In addition, the timber decking will be replaced with fire-safe aluminium decking. The project is expected to last 18 months and is due to be completed by October 2026.
The work relating to the leasehold homes has been funded by the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS), and no costs have been passed onto homeowners. In contrast Wandle is funding approximately £2.34 million for the works to the social rented homes due to not being eligible to access the additional government funding, because of the works contract being in place ahead of the funding being announced.
Anne Waterhouse, Chief Executive of Wandle, said “The safety of our residents is our priority and appreciate how disruptive the work is. We want to make the experience as stress-free as possible, and we keep in close contact through monthly meetings, with a dedicated website that all impacted residents have access to.
“We welcome any opportunity to meet with elected officials who represent our residents and share how we can work together to deliver homes that are safe and sustainable.”
It was useful to discuss our approach with Helen and raise the wider implications of having to fund the cost of works to the social homes ourselves.
