Residents in tower block face £2m bill to replace Grenfell-style cladding

People living in a privately-owned tower block with the same cladding used on Grenfell Tower could be forced to pay millions for replacement panels to be fitted.

Residents at Citiscape in Croydon, south London, are facing the prospect of having to fork out up to £2m to remove and replace the aluminium composite material (ACM) panels.

Such cladding is believed to have fuelled the spread of the Grenfell blaze in June, which left 71 people dead.

The Citiscape building was one of 228 across the country which failed safety tests brought in by the Government in the aftermath of the fire.

:: Grenfell: Britain's safety crisis

First Port Property Services, which manages the high-rise building, was advised in August that action should be taken.

It has written to residents twice, informing them that the cost will likely be borne by them through service charges.

In November residents were told that the cost was about £500,000, but this estimate skyrocketed to between £1.8 and £2m last week.

First Port said in its latest letter: "We know that this work and the costs are unwelcome. However, as your property manager, our first priority has to be your safety."

A total of 95 flats are affected, and each household's share could be between around £13,300 and £31,300. This needs to be paid in instalments from March.

And the cost of retaining fire marshals, who have been in place since June and will need to stay until the work is completed, is expected to increase the costs by around £300,000 a year.

A tribunal hearing is due to be held next month to rule on who should foot the bill.

Steve Reed, the area's MP, raised concerns with Communities Secretary Sajid Javid last year, with the minister replying that he would urge landlords to "not attempt to pass on costs to leaseholders".

Mr Javid added that all councils and housing associations that had been in discussions with the department were opting not to pass costs on, as were a number of private firms.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "We are clear we would like to see private sector landlords follow the lead of the social sector and not pass on the costs.

"We are giving an extra £465,000 to LEASE, who provide free legal advice to leaseholders, so they can provide a dedicated advice and dispute resolution service for people in buildings that require additional fire safety measures."

Alexandra Blanc, 37, who bought her flat four years ago, said the situation had spiralled "out of control".

"I received a letter telling me I have to pay more than I earn in one year salary in six weeks for something I am not even responsible for," she said.

"I'm very worried about the prospect of losing my flat. I have contacted estate agents to try and sell it but they told me this flat will never sell under those circumstances.

"My equity has also become negative since this debacle."

A First Port Property Services spokesman said: "We are working hard to ensure residents are safe and supported during what we know is a challenging time.

"We recognise that the potential costs are significant and are committed to minimising them, while putting residents' safety first.

"As the property manager, we are discharging our responsibilities under the leasehold agreements and working with residents as closely as possible to find a solution to this very complex situation."