You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Residents seek clarity from DLUHC as developer and landlord clash over responsibility for remediation work
Residents of a block have sought clarity from the government following delays to remediation works as the landlord and developer compete to complete an inspection.
In a letter this month, seen by Inside Housing, to a Southern Housing resident of Norfolk House in Deptford, south-east London, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said developer Galliard is obligated to carry out the work.
This is because the firm has signed the government’s developer remediation contract.
The letter stated that Galliard is “obligated to carry out their assessments and complete any necessary work to fix or mitigate life-critical fire safety defects caused by the original design, construction or refurbishment of the building”.
This is to be done in line with the PAS 9980 safety standard.
However, Southern has accused Galliard of having “not proactively engaged” with it in recent years on cladding issues and failing to provide a “tangible solution” for residents.
READ MORE
The association pointed to Galliard signing the developers pledge three weeks after the government’s deadline and said the firm’s “insistence on obtaining their own PAS assessment is causing delays”.
Despite DLUHC suggesting it is Galliard’s responsibility, Southern has a planned schedule of remediation works that is due to run from April 2024 to March 2025.
One resident told Inside Housing that she “really doesn’t see how we are getting a resolution”. While she accepts Galliard was late to sign the developers pledge, she said it still did so one year before Southern surveyed the building.
The resident claims that in December 2023, Southern “obstructed” an attempt by the developer to carry out a PASS 9980 fire risk assessment. She said the developer told her this after contacting it for updates.
She alleged that the association also “withheld” letters from Galliard informing residents of its remediation plans and confirming it has signed the post-Grenfell safety pledge.
Southern insisted it has communicated clearly and gave residents the “relevant information at the appropriate time”.
The landlord claimed it “wrote to all Norfolk House residents on 2 February detailing information on Galliard’s inspection of the building scheduled for later that month”.
A separate letter is “crucial” for residents looking to apply for mortgages or sell their properties as it can be used as evidence for a scheme agreed upon by major banks to lend on properties with cladding issues, has still not been issued.
Galliard told Inside Housing that after “persistent collaborative discussions” with Southern and DLUHC, which stepped in as a mediator, the developer had “obtained permission to conduct essential intrusive inspections”.
The inspection was due to run for a week from 19 February, after which an externally appointed fire engineer was set to craft a “comprehensive report” which was expected to be completed within eight to 10 weeks.
For its part, the landlord said it had “previously explained to residents at Norfolk House that we plan to remediate their building and they’ll not be charged for this work”.
“These works have been carefully planned and programmed to be delivered by our contractor as we had no commitment from Galliard over all these years, until the very recent engagement linked to the pledge,” it explained.
“Galliard is still to provide any tangible solution for residents and their late willingness to engage with us creates a complication. Their insistence on obtaining their own PAS assessment is causing delays and there is no alternative timetable as to the completion of works by Galliard.”
In a letter to Vicky Foxcroft, MP for Lewisham and Deptford, the shared owner said requests for “detailed and updated” information on safety measures and remediation plans had been “inadequately addressed” by Southern.
In its response to her concerns about “conflicts between the two assessments” by separate parties, DLUHC said: “At this point, this should not be assumed.”
The department said Galliard can use any assessment, provided it meets standards in the remediation contract, and can commission its own rather than rely on a previous one carried out on behalf of Southern.
Galliard said DLUHC’s letter to the resident “underscores the necessity of adhering to the due process outlined in our contractual agreement with the UK government” and is “fully committed” to its obligations.
The resident said homeowners at Norfolk House are left “stuck in the middle of this dispute”.
“A delay in remediation is a detriment to our safety, financial security, and mental and physical well-being,” she added.
“It’s been a long time for us and as a family massive impact on our lives, our decisions, our mental health, on everything.”
This is not the first time the landlord and developer have been criticised for their handling of remediation work at the block in Deptford. In July last year, Ms Foxcroft named both firms in the House of Commons after claiming they were refusing to address “ruined” flats.
She said that Southern was failing to act on what residents called a “ticking time bomb to see whose ceiling will collapse next”.
Sign up for our fire safety newsletter
Already have an account? Click here to manage your newsletters
