Southern Housing evacuates tower block due to concerns over concrete
1/12/23
Southern Housing has evacuated 60 flats from a tower block in Woking after an investigation raised concerns about the type of concrete used in its construction.
In a stock market update today, the 78,000-home landlord said it had taken the decision on Friday to decant around 100 residents from the Centrium 1 block at Station Approach in Woking.
The association said it is investigating the materials used in the construction of the property, with a focus on the composition of the concrete.
Southern did confirm that it was not reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) concrete, which is known to decay over time, and has recently been linked to ceiling collapses in schools.
The landlord told the London Stock Exchange: "Due to concerns around the composition of the concrete a decision has been taken to decant all residents from the property.
"The issuer [Southern] is working alongside all parties to manage the process effectively ahead of full results of further investigations being known. The property is not securing any obligations of the issuer under its financing agreements."
The landlord explained it was too soon to say at this point when residents will be able to return to their homes.
Paul Hackett, chief executive officer of Southern Housing, said: "I want to express how sorry I am to residents that we have had to take this action.
"Our main priority is the safety of our residents and we had no choice but to ask them to leave their homes on Friday (17 November). I want to stress that we've made this decision with our residents' well-being in mind, and we are doing everything we can to minimise the disruption.
"I understand this news is distressing, and I empathise with everyone affected and I'm sorry for the uncertainty this will cause our residents. This is a complex situation and we had to make a decision based on the new information available to us provided by our technical and legal advisors.
"We don't have all the answers yet, and we will work tirelessly to fully understand the extent of the structural issues in the building and what steps to take next."
He pledged to support residents through what he described as a "challenging time" as the landlord works to find alternative housing for all those affected.
The concerns about the block mark the second time in the space of just over a month that Southern has reported concerns with the safety of one of its properties.
In October, the landlord told Inside Housing it had not taken a decision to decant residents from a block with fire safety issues after criticism from a residents group.
The Social Housing Action Campaign (SHAC) is supporting the residents of Millicent Buller House in Earl's Court, in what they believe is a plan to evict them from their homes.
SHAC said the residents were recently informed by an unsigned letter that the scheme is to be closed and disposed of.
Southern Housing denied it has made a decision on the future of the building and said it has been speaking with the residents to help understand their housing needs.
With the landlord addressing the fire and structural safety concerns identified in these two blocks, it warned in its half-year trading update last week that it expects more write-downs on development schemes as the effects of delays and a tough sales market take their toll.
Source; Inside Housing