Flat residents unconvinced by latest cladding move

A residents' association said it felt "no sense of relief" despite a developer taking the latest step towards replacing combustible cladding on an apartment complex.

Barratt Redrow has submitted plans to create a compound for construction materials off South Row in Milton Keynes, ahead of works on the city's Vizion Apartments.

Citing a number of delays to the remediation work, Ann Savell, chair of the Vizion MK Residents' Association, said: "Until they put up the scaffolding and get builders on site, I won't believe that work's ever going to start."

The developer said it was "doing everything we can to complete remediation as quickly as possible".

Remediation is needed on most of the Vizion complex to meet safety regulations that were introduced following the fatal Grenfell Tower fire in London.

It involves replacing fire-risk materials on 12 buildings containing hundreds of flats with non-combustible alternatives by 2029.

Work was due to start on the lower-rise blocks in May while approval was sought for the higher buildings, but Savell told the BBC that nothing had been done on site.

She said: "I hope I'm entirely wrong, but there is absolutely no way that they are going to do [our] whole site by 2029 as there is no will there."

The residents' association has since applied for a Remediation Order under the Building Safety Act. It hopes it can compel the landlord, Avon Ground Rents Ltd, and Barratt Redrow, which is contracted for the work, to meet obligations to fix the fire safety issues, which it said also included internal defects.

Savell said residents had faced repeated missed deadlines and hoped an order, if granted, would prevent "indefinite or open-ended delays".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the planned construction compound for the works would be enclosed by 2.4m (7.9ft) high timber hoarding, with lockable gates for vehicles and pedestrians.

The application is being considered by Milton Keynes City Council.

A spokesperson for Barratt Redrow said: "We sympathise with residents and are doing everything we can to complete remediation as quickly as possible, and will keep them updated through regular communications.

"We must wait for Building Control approval of the remediation plans for the first phase before we can sign the licence with the freeholder - and with a development this size, there are a number of other factors which can also impact the planned timelines.

"We are currently working on the Building Safety Regulator and Building Control applications for the later phases of the remediation."

Avon Ground Rents Ltd said: "Responsibility for progressing and carrying out the remedial works sits solely with Barratt Redrow as the original developer, not with Avon Ground Rents Limited (which is just the current freeholder of the development).

"Barratt Redrow has accepted this responsibility for the remediation and has committed to the government to address the cladding and fire safety issues."

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