Pankhurst Avenue

Latest revision was updated on 25 May 2022

Find out more about what is happening at Pankhurst Avenue in the sections below:

We constantly update the information on this page so please refer back for the latest revision.

25 May 2022 - Latest Building Safety Update for Pankhurst Avenue

Latest updates from Pankhurst Avenue

This section was last updated 15 March 2022

Residents may have recently received a letter regarding inspections taking place at Pankhurst Avenue during the w/c 14 March 2022. This letter is in regards to what is known as a Type 4 Fire Risk Assessment (FRA). This is a required document that we, as landlords, must produce in order to demonstrate that certain areas of the building as in satisfactory condition. We are doing these assessments across all of our buildings as part of our Building Safety Programme.

This Type 4 Assessment is not connected to the ongoing work into the External Wall System (EWS). For the EWS work, we are waiting for the final recommendations from the fire assessors so we can proceed with the next steps. We are currently chasing the details of this, and will report back to residents as soon as we have the findings.

Our technical team is working with the fire engineers to agree the best technical solution to repair and replace the imperfect and missing fire barriers at Pankhurst Avenue. We will let you know more about this as the discussions progress.

November 2021

August 2021

March 2021

February 2021

November 2020

Pankhurst Avenue is below 18m in height.

The property was built in 2014, and the design met all the building and fire safety regulations at that time.

In 2019, changes were made to building regulations. As a result, building management teams across the country must now make sure all buildings are compliant with these new regulations.

Investigations on the building have concluded and they have identified areas of the building that require remediation in order to meet the updated building regulations.

It’s part of the second phase of our building safety programme which is now underway. You can find out more about how our building safety programme works, general guidance for leaseholders who are looking to sell or remortgage and what to expect here.

We have received requests from residents for a copy of the latest expert report. Our legal team have instructed us not to disclose the reports in their entirety because they have been prepared in contemplation of litigation and because we intend to use them in any third party claim that is made. Therefore we require the contents of the reports to remain in confidence. We are, however, happy to share summaries of the report with residents.

We will update this microsite regularly with all available information and documentation where available.

Our Building Safety Programme

Following updated government guidance on building safety we have a building safety programme in place which is systematically checking all the buildings we own to ensure that they comply with the updated safety advice. More information is available here.

What steps have we taken at Pankhurst Avenue?

1. Undertaken an intrusive survey

Our experts have undertaken and completed an intrusive survey to determine the compliance of materials used in the construction of the façade at 83-89 Pankhurst Avenue. 

2. Reviewed the preliminary findings

We have received the architect's report and reviewed the findings. 

3. The investigation showed that:

·  Pankhurst Avenue could expect to receive a B2 EWS1 rating 

·  There are some external areas of the building that are missing cavity barriers and will require remediation works  

·  The external façade to all three blocks at Pankhurst Avenue consists of the following types of materials: 
 
- ArGeTon (cream in colour) rainscreen panels 
- Brickwork to the lower ground floors 
- Velfac 200 window system
- Trespa Meteon (green in colour) rainscreen panels (HPL-type) 
- Celotex PIR insulation 

4. Feasibility study 

In assessing the work required at Pankhurst Avenue, our contractors have undertaken a further in-depth study. This will give us more details about the level and type of work that is needed to remediate the building and upgrade the current expected EWS1 grade of B2 to B1 status. and which will include timeframes and estimated costs. We are currently awaiting the results of this report, and these are expected in September 2021.

What are we doing to ensure residents are safe?

We have been assured by specialist fire engineers that no additional fire safety measures are needed in the building. Therefore, we would like to reassure you that the current fire safety procedures and other building safety precautions that are in place mean that there is no undue cause for alarm. Your safety is paramount, and we are committed to keeping this situation under review on an ongoing basis as we get more information.  

Find out more about on fire safety.

What happens next?

1. Reporting back

We will contact residents as soon as we have received the feasibility report and have assessed the contents. We will then organise a residents meeting to take you through the findings and enable you to ask questions.

2. Legal Activity 

The Group remains committed to avoiding passing costs to residents, if possible, and we have appointed a legal team from Devonshires who will continue to explore all possible avenues to recover costs from third parties. We will start the section 20 process, if required, at the appropriate time. Section 20 is the legal process we must follow which provides a mechanism for residents to be consulted and feedback regarding service charge costs. We will keep you fully informed at every stage. 

3. EWS1 Form 
 
Under the updated RICS guidance (page 8), applicable from 5 April 2021, an EWS1 form will now be appropriate for Pankhurst Avenue. As the current expert advice is that the building in its current state would likely get an expected B2 rating which could cause issues with lenders or buyers, we will wait until the remedial works are complete when a higher rating should be achieved. Once the remediation upgrade works have been completed, we will arrange for an EWS1 form to be produced as quickly as possible.  

This section was last updated 19 February 2021

Updated Fire Strategy 

Coming soon

This section was last updated 11 June 2021

FRA

December 2020 FRA for Block 83 Pankhurst Avenue

December 2020 FRA for Block 85 Pankhurst Avenue

December 2020 FRA for Block 87 Pankhurst Avenue

December 2020 FRA for Block 89 Pankhurst Avenue

EWS1

An EWS1 form is not currently available

Tender documents

N/a

Section 20 consultation docs

May 2021 Response to Notice of Intention Letter

April 2021 First Notice of Intention Letter

April 2021 Q&A on External Wall Surveys and Fire Risk Assessments

This section was last updated 14 March 2022

What are you doing to ensure residents are safe?

While we carry out the more detailed investigations into the remedial work, we have taken advice from the fire brigade and our fire safety engineers. The advice they have given helps us make sure that your homes have the right additional precautions in place to ensure your safety in the event of a need to evacuate the buildings.

We have been assured by specialist fire engineers that no additional fire safety measures are needed in the building. Please be assured that the current fire safety procedures and other building safety precautions that are in place mean that there is no undue cause for alarm. Your safety is paramount, and we are committed to keeping this situation under review on an ongoing basis as we get more information.

Timing of the work 

We are scoping and planning the work right now, so it is not possible to give an exact time for when the remedial work will start. We will share the exact details of the works with you as soon as we can. This is a complex process involving further detailed inspections, scoping the exact work and tendering for contractors whilst we ensure that we work in a Covid-safe way for everyone.

Can I stay in my home during the work? 

Yes, we think so. Due to the nature of the work, we think it is likely that we will be able to carry out the work without the need to move anyone out of their homes. Sometimes, when planning the work, we discover, that we may need access to the interiors of some homes. If that is necessary, we will discuss this with you beforehand.

What should I do if there’s a fire?

Please follow the current fire safety advice for your building.

Will leaseholders be charged for the costs of the remedial work?

Residents may be aware of statements made by the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP on 9 January 2022 regarding his proposed plans to enforce “polluter pays” legislation to ensure that developers pay for the removal of cladding material and fixing of defects on buildings of 11-18 metres in height.

Once details of any available funding for lower-rise buildings are confirmed, we will ensure that all appropriate applications are made to any funds that become available, and will update residents in individual buildings in due course.

Your safety is our first priority. Questions about how building safety remedial work is funded never stand in the way of us getting the necessary work done, however the costs of work do need to be funded from somewhere.

We will do all we can to protect leaseholders from these costs by seeking to recover them from those responsible for any building defects or from the government if at all possible.

We are investigating the potential to claim these costs from a third party, where this is available. 

As a charitable housing association, the way we are run and how we spend our money is regulated by the Government. What this means is that if we cannot find an alternative source of reimbursement for the costs of the remedial work then we have no choice but to seek to recover costs under the terms of your leases. This is because the way we spend our money is subject to strict rules and we are not permitted to write off these costs if there is an alternative option.

This is never our preferred way forward and we understand that this may be concerning for leaseholders. We hope that this will not be necessary, but it would be wrong not to be clear about the possibility at this stage.

We do not know how much the work is likely to cost at this stage. We are working on getting that information as soon as possible.

Government advice has changed. Do we need an EWS1 form?

Under the updated RICS guidance (page 8), applicable from 5 April 2021, an EWS1 form will now be appropriate for Pankhurst Avenue.

As the current expert advice is that the building in its current state would likely get an expected B2 rating which could cause issues with lenders or buyers, we will wait until the remedial works are complete when a higher rating should be achieved. Once the remediation upgrade works have been completed, we will arrange for an EWS1 form to be produced as quickly as possible.  

How can I find out more?

We will be updating these sections whenever there is new information.