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The Ledbury Estate safety scare and concerns over Universal Credit show the government must take action to gain the trust of tenants, writes Emma Maier
Some 49 years after the Ronan Point disaster, landlords have been acting on concerns about similar blocks elsewhere in the capital.
In 1968, a gas explosion caused the partial collapse of the Newham tower block, taking the lives of four residents.
Afterwards, the government required landlords to remove the gas supply from other blocks constructed using the same ‘large panel system’ (LPS), or carry out strengthening work.
It appears that such work was not completed on the four blocks that make up the Ledbury Estate in Southwark, owned at the time by the now defunct Greater London Council. When the issue came to light in July, Southwark acted, switching off the gas supply – and with it, tenants’ access to heating and hot water.
The council set about installing a district heating system to supply each home. It completed the work at an impressive rate, while remaining sensitive to the needs and views of tenants.
Meanwhile, in Hammersmith & Fulham the council has reacted to concerns about two LPS blocks, Hartopp Point and Lannoy Point, by issuing new evacuation advice for tenants. The council’s new policy will see residents evacuated immediately in the event of a fire, moving away from the standard ‘stay put’ policy.
The towers were strengthened after Ronan Point and have been found to be structurally sound, but they suffer from cracks and gaps in walls, ceilings and floor joints that compromise compartmentation.
It is vital that landlords and government learn the fire safety lessons from the past – from Ronan Point, Lakanal House and, in time, Grenfell Tower. But fire safety is as much about people as it is about buildings and construction – and that learning must include getting better at listening to tenants.
There are very grave questions to answer about how Ledbury residents were left in danger for so long. Tenants at Ledbury describe reporting cracks for decades. In Hammersmith & Fulham, the council had been aware of concerns for five years, and tenants report that repair work promised in 2012 was not completed.
Listening and acting quickly and decisively now is an important first step. But this alone will not repair the damage to trust. Landlords must talk honestly about fire risk assessments, remedial action and evacuation policies – and look at why tenants have not always been heard.
Government must face the same challenge. Housing minister Alok Sharma has said that his tour of the country to meet 1,000 social housing tenants has been the best thing he has done in his career. It is telling that the top concern voiced has not been fire safety, but something much more immediate: the impact of Universal Credit.
Inside Housing research has found that councils where Universal Credit has been fully rolled out have seen their Discretionary Housing Payment spending shoot up. The government has announced support for claimants in temporary accommodation, but this does not go far enough.
If government is to gain the trust of tenants, it must do more than listen. It must show that it understands by taking appropriate action.
Emma Maier, editor, Inside Housing
4 July 2017: Inside Housing reports Southwark Council is carrying out urgent inspections of tower blocks on the Ledbury Estate after residents reported cracks
10 August 2017: The council confirms it has switched off the gas supply and says it will decant the blocks, with tenants are offered cash to fund moves out of the affected blocks
15 August 2017: Southwark Council leader Peter John says tenants will not be forced ot move out temporarily in the short term
31 August 2017: A council-commissioned report by engineering consultancy Arup finds a gas explosion at Ledbury could cause “a disproportionate collapse” similar to the 1968 Ronan Point disaster
6 September 2017: Inside Housing reports that residents of the Ledbury Estate are taking legal action against Southwark Council
7 September 2017: The government writes to social landlords to tell them to take action to seal any cracks found in large panel system blocks
21 September 2017: Residents protest over the continued lack of heating in the Ledbury Estate blocks following the withdrawal of the gas supply
21 November 2017: A fresh report by Arup finds “no deterioration” in the blocks
28 November 2017: Southwark Council introduces an immediate evacuation policy after fire safety breaches were found