Hundreds homeless due to flats' structural issues

At least 250 households and several businesses are suddenly homeless after structural issues were found in five blocks of flats in Canning Town, east London.

Two blocks in the Caxton Works development were evacuated on Friday evening, a week after residents of three other buildings there were told to leave their homes due to the same issue.

Residents have been told not to return home until further notice and must now pay upfront for hotel rooms.

Building manager Prime Property Management previously said structural engineers had identified an "imminent risk to life" linked to a transfer slab beneath the blocks. The firm has not responded to the BBC's request for comment.

The five blocks in the development which is also known as Royal Gateway - Centurion Tower, St Vincent Court, Sovereign Tower, Thanet Tower and Prince Tower - were built about nine years ago by Galliard Homes and are occupied by private tenants or leaseholders.

On Monday, the towers were pictured plastered with posters warning of a "danger to life".

Residents could be seen moving suitcases, plants and other belongings from the buildings, along with a removal van.

One man who returned to his home to collect essentials for his family on Monday told the BBC: "I don't have anywhere else to go."

He said the mortgage on the flat he shares with his wife and two young children was his "entire investment".

"For a nine-year-old building, it's really concerning," he said.

The evacuation of the first three towers was carried out without notice at about 03:00 BST on 23 October.

This followed inspections and subsequent reports by structural engineers.

The owner of a Japanese restaurant housed in the ground floor of one of the blocks said: "It's like a tsunami hit so fast that [you] don't even have time to think about it."

The businessman said he and all his staff had suddenly been left with no work and no income, as the restaurant was forced to close.

"My team has been asked to stop working without any notice or information about when they can return," he said.

"We have been left with unknown answers to give to our team. Many team members have been working with us for years. They have families, commitments, mortgages."

The man, who did not want to be named, added: "It's had a massive impact on everyone's life including the people who have enjoyed dining with us and another 12 businesses connected with us have suffered."

He now fears that if he cannot claim an insurance payout, the business would face "total shutdown".

"It's a terrible situation for everybody involved and we're left with no answers," he added.

Among other businesses forced to close was Golden Sparks children's nursery, which cared for more than 80 babies and pre-school children.

In a letter to the BBC, a representative of the families affected said: "Some families have not only lost their nursery but have also been evacuated from their homes.

"Others are now facing the impossible situation of trying to arrange alternative childcare at extremely short notice, potentially taking unpaid leave or facing additional costs they simply cannot afford."

Galliard Homes said it was working with independent structural engineers to urgently investigate the concerns "and understand the findings while engaging constructively with the relevant parties to identify the appropriate next steps".

A spokesperson added: "We recognise the distress and disruption the evacuation at Royal Gateway is causing residents and their families.

"The safety of residents and the public is our priority, and we take the structural safety concerns raised extremely seriously.

"Our focus is on helping to establish a safe and effective solution that enables residents to return to their homes as soon as it is safe to do so."

Newham Council said it owned the land on the site of the five towers and had deployed health and safety inspectors and buildings experts to carry out investigations.

It added it was trying to help the most vulnerable residents, but it did not have an automatic duty to house all displaced residents.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Flo Eshalomi MP, Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said officials were supporting the council and engaging with the developer and the warranty providers to "ensure that they respond to this situation as swiftly as possible".

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