Developer fixing Barbican safety issues accused of 'insufficient' works and 'atrocious' engagement

A developer tasked with fixing fire safety issues in a Barbican tower block has been accused of ‘atrocious’ resident engagement and leaving materials in the way of an exit. The City of London Corporation, which issued an improvement notice on Redrow last December after a litany of risks were discovered at Blake Tower, has also noted its concerns about the safety and quality of works.

A spokesperson for Barratt Redrow, the developer’s official name following a merger with Barratt, said the majority of actions from the improvement notice have been resolved and that all works are carried out by specialist contractors and independently assessed. Blake Tower, formerly the YMCA on the Barbican estate, was leased to Barratt Redrow by the City of London in 2013. The developer renovated the block into 74 flats and was due to return the lease in October 2019.

A report by the Corporation however halted proceedings after finding ‘outstanding issues with the development works and considerable resident dissatisfaction’. In September 2022, the City of London asked B Richards Fire Protection Consultants to inspect Blake Tower after receiving further complaints from residents.

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The investigation found 198 issues affecting the block, including walls missing fire-stopping insulation and cables and piping either sealed poorly or not at all. The City told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) late last year that it had issued Redrow with an improvement notice to ‘rectify fire safety risks in line with their legal responsibilities’.

A Barratt Redrow spokesperson said at the time that the company had begun addressing fire safety issues at Blake Tower. In a paper prepared for a Barbican Residential Consultation Committee meeting next week (November 25), Corporation officers have however reported that both they and residents continue to have concerns over the works.

They wrote the case has received ‘high political attention’, with the Chair of Policy and Resources, Deputy Chris Hayward, writing to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government highlighting potential issues.

One area of concern raised in the report is that the City is yet to receive full survey information from Barratt Redrow following intrusive works carried out by its contractors in four flats over August. Officers also wrote how on October 16 the London Fire Brigade (LFB) was notified of a potential fire in the block.

This appeared to be an issue whereby studio flats had been connected in error to communal alarm systems, with works underway to resolve this. The report does list works carried out and commissioned by Barratt Redrow in Blake Tower, including improving fire evacuation signs, installing wayfinding signage, and putting in place protocols to deal with the likes of battery operated bikes.

‘Atrocious’ engagement with residents

Corporation officers note that residents have described the works at Blake Tower as taking place in a ‘piecemeal fashion’. One resident the LDRS spoke to, who wished to remain anonymous, said there have not been any works other than the commencement of some improvements to communal areas, which they described as ‘insufficient’.

Asked about their dealings with the leaseholder, they said: “Redrow’s resident engagement has been atrocious. They even had their contractor host a call with residents at very short notice and then deliberately disabled our cameras and microphones on the call.”

A spokesperson for Barratt Redrow said they did not instigate that particular meeting, and it was not the case in its own recent session with residents. When approached for comment, the contractor which led the meeting, Miller Knight, said it is working with Barratt Redrow on the scheme and that the all queries need to be addressed to the developer.

The resident added the works are being done while the building continues to be occupied, and that materials have been left in the path of a fire exit. The company says no materials were stored in the way of a fire exit, but that some were kept in the building before being used.

These have since been moved. Barratt Redrow also claims it has shared all copies of reports it holds with the Corporation. A spokesperson said: “We have resolved the majority of the actions from the City of London Corporation's Improvement Notice and are continuing to progress the outstanding works.

“All work at Blake Tower is carried out by specialist contractors and is independently assessed by a qualified fire engineer appointed by Redrow and reviewed by experts appointed by City of London Corporation and by residents.

“We understand that residents want more regular information and are committed to keeping them informed. We met with residents last week and will continue to keep them updated.”

A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation said: “Following an inspection, our enforcement officers have issued an Improvement Notice to Redrow Homes Ltd in line with the Housing Act 2004. This requires Redrow to undertake works which are detailed in the notice to rectify fire safety risks in line with their legal responsibilities, beginning in January 2024, and to be completed within 24 months.”

“The City Corporation continues to work with Redrow to ensure that the requirements of the Improvement Notice are met, that all fire safety defects are identified, and the scope of remediation works addresses the defects.”

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