Cladding inspection work to begin on four Harold Wood blocks
L&Q has confirmed it will carry out inspections on four blocks in Kings Park Estate this summer - Credit: Google
Cladding inspections into four blocks on a Harold Wood estate have been made a priority, with findings expected by September.
Housing association L&Q, which manages several buildings on the Kings Park Estate, said the blocks were initially not due for inspection this year.
However, after a request to review the timeline, they have been brought forward with work to begin this summer.
Materials on the external walls will be identified to enable L&Q to understand if remediation work is required on the buildings.
A total of 130 homes will benefit from the work, with the company saying it will tell residents of an inspection date in the next few weeks.
A spokesperson for L&Q said: “We anticipate receiving the inspection findings from our contractor by September and we will share a summary of the findings with residents.
“Resident safety is a top priority at L&Q and we will be inspecting close to 200 low-rise blocks this year.”
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Julia Lopez, Conservative MP for Hornchurch and Upminster, is among those to have pushed L&Q to prioritise the inspections at Kings Park Estate.
Julia Lopez, MP for Hornchurch and Upminster - Credit: Richard Townshend Photography
She said senior personnel at the company told her it will support those who are unable to sell their homes while the inspections are taking place.
Ms Lopez added: “I share residents’ ongoing frustration in getting either building remediation works secured or freedom from uncertainty caused by the EWS1 process.
“I have corresponded with a great many leaseholders across the estate regarding fire safety matters and I hope that, working with the new and more proportionate guidance provided by government, the independent fire engineers will be able to help push things forward.”
Cladding issues are nothing new to residents on the estate.
Last year, combustible cladding was discovered on a number of buildings, none of which are managed by L&Q, and was found to be the cause of a fire which broke out in 2019.
Meanwhile, other flat owners were mistakenly told that their cladding was unsafe, with the residents believing for months that repair work costing up to £2m would be needed.
This all comes following the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy in 2017, which saw a fatal blaze worsened by flammable cladding.
