Tangmere House (Image: WikiCommons)
Residents of 200 homes including two residential blocks in Tottenham are being moved out after structural tests following the Grenfell Tower disaster found they are at risk of structural collapse.
The problems were discovered on the Broadwater Farm estate in north London and the two 1970s-built blocks, the six-storey Tangmere House (pictured) and 18-storey Northolt, are worst affected.
The blocks are two of 11 on the estate that failed tests by structural engineers. Additionally Tangmere does not meet the required standards for gas use. The council said the two buildings "require significant works to prevent potential structural problems in the event of a vehicle driving into the block, or from an explosion from bottled gas or a faulty oxygen cylinder".
The residential towers were built using the same large-panel system used on Ronan Point, where a gas explosion in 1968 caused a collapse that killed four people. The estate was the scene of riots in the 1980s.
Haringey Council’s housing arm, Homes for Haringey, started visiting residents to update them on structural issues affecting the estate this week.
The council said letters have been delivered to residents explaining recommended measures for specific blocks, including a consultation on the future of the Northolt and Tangmere blocks.
Tangmere residents will need to be found new homes while the future of their block is decided.
Councillor Emina Ibrahim, cabinet member for housing and estate renewal said: “We understand that residents on Broadwater Farm – particularly those in Tangmere and Northolt blocks – will have questions and concerns. We are committed to providing a safe, decent and affordable home for everyone and I want to assure all affected residents that we will carefully consider all of the issues, and that any decision we take will be with primary consideration for the safety, aspirations and rights of our tenants.
“Throughout all the work that has been done on the estate in recent months, Homes for Haringey and the council have engaged with residents and the Residents’ Association to ensure that everybody understands the steps that have been taken, and we will ensure that those conversations continue. A decision on the long-term future of these blocks will only be taken following proper consultation with residents.”
