On 11 November 2023 a balcony fascia fell from a first-floor balcony at Weavers Quarter Estate in Barking. Thankfully no one was hurt, and it did not affect the structural integrity of the building or balcony.
Weavers Quarter was built by Bouygues on behalf of the development managers, the housing association L&Q, who retain responsibility for managing concerns about the building quality, including latent defects. Barking and Dagenham Council owns the freehold on the land.
Since the incident, Barking and Dagenham Council has been working behind the scenes to ensure Bouygues take responsibility for the construction fault and move as quickly as possible to make sure that all the balcony coverings are safe. Reside has erected scaffolding to secure the other balconies on the site.
On 20 November, Bouygues announced that they will urgently carry out checks and conduct any remedial works required, as part of their 12-year guarantee with L&Q.
Barking and Dagenham Council welcomes Bouygues willingness to accept its responsibilities and will continue to encourage Bouygues and L&Q to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the apartments in Weavers Quarter are safe.
Barking and Dagenham Council leader Darren Rodwell said:
“I am pleased that Bouygues have responded positively to our request for them to take accountability and prompt action following the collapse of a balcony fascia at Weavers Quarter. They will now be checking each of the 77 balconies that share the same design and doing whatever is needed to put things right.
“We have a proud record of finding innovative ways to create new, affordable housing in the borough and of supporting its tenants, leaseholders and residents in times of crisis and I would like to assure all Weavers Quarter residents that we will continue to hold Bouygues and L&Q to account as they make these checks and undertake whatever remedial measures are needed.”
Notes
- Bouygues statement issued on 20 November 2023:
INCIDENT ON 11TH NOVEMBER AT WEAVERS QUARTER ESTATE
Last week a balcony fascia fell from one balcony at Weavers Quarter Estate in Barking. At Bouygues UK we accept that something has gone wrong for this to have happened and we are very sorry for the distress this must have caused to the residents.
We want to stress that the responsibility does not lie with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham or the residents.
Together with the other parties involved, we are conducting a comprehensive investigation into the cause. We are committed to uncovering the root cause and implementing robust measures to prevent any future occurrences.
Consistent with our 12-year guarantee, we will urgently carry out checks and conduct any remedial works required.
We will provide regular updates to the relevant stakeholders on our investigation and the subsequent actions we are taking.
Our commitment to the safety of residents remains our top priority and we are dedicated to maintaining a safe and secure living environment for them.
ENDS
- Barking and Dagenham Council partnered with L&Q (initially as East Thames housing association, who later merged into L&Q) in 2013 to regenerate the eastern part of the Gascoigne Estate. This was built by Bouygues UK and completed between 2018 and 2019. During the regeneration, L&Q acted as a development manager for the scheme, and as part of this contract has a responsibility for serving notice on Bouygues UK to carry out works related to construction defects.
- Once the construction of the Weavers Quarter estate was completed by Bouygues, ownership of the estate transferred to Barking and Dagenham Council’s housing company Reside. L&Q bought 90 apartments for shared ownership. Reside also has 90 shared ownership apartments and 189 apartments let at discount market rates. All the apartments are on 130-year leasehold agreements. Reside manages the estate, while L&Q retain their responsibilities as the development manager.
- Reside has published a Frequently Asked Questions about Weavers Quarter on its website: B&D Reside - Affordable Homes in Barking and Dagenham | Shared Ownership & Rental Properties (bdreside.org)