Bermondsey residents claim Southwark Council has spent eleven months blocking a report relating to their controversial £1.3 million window refurbishment.
Furious Kirby Estate residents claim one-size-fits-all windows, installed in 2020, were used for holes of varying sizes, causing black mould and damp in their flats.
Southwark Council promised to provide a Building Inspection Control report in June 2023.
But the council now claims no such report will be produced because it’s not legally required to.
Southwark Council has consistently maintained that the windows were approved by the FENSA regulatory body and are not the cause of damp and mould.
Instead, Southwark Council is carrying out inspection on individual homes. Councillor Sarah King, cabinet member for council homes, said: “Residents have told us about the problems with their windows for some time, and we know that we need to make sure we get this right so they can live comfortably in their homes.
“In response to this, inspections were carried out to find out what the problems are so that we can fix them – some of that work has already happened.”
However, residents say there is evidence that excessive add-ons used to fill the gaps between window frames and walls could be causing damp and mould.
In an internal email seen by Southwark News, an inspector appears to admit that the use of window add-ons was excessive – 50mm in some cases.
Moreover, a 2023 RISA report found that “the window surround” was among the least efficient thermal elements of the window. “Therefore any condensation present will form there first,” it found.
In 2022, an inspection by International Glass Associates found various problems with the windows, including locks not engaging, missing fixings and sashes not fitting frames.
But while it identified mould issues, the report blamed residents saying some rooms were “ extremely cluttered”.
Regardless, Kirby Estate residents argue that Southwark Council’s refusal to commission a Building Control Inspection report prevents them from getting answers.
Neil Coyle, Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP, who has been advocating for the residents, recently met with Elkins and Calfordseaden, the contractors involved in the project.
In a letter to Kirby residents, he said Elkins representatives defended the product they installed and insisted they “met the project specification”.
But the MP said he was “less convinced CalfordSeaden have added any value to the process”.
He questioned whether CalfordSeaden had inspected the works properly or reported issues back to the council.
Southwark Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee is investigating the works, the News understands.
Despite pressure from the local MP, residents say Southwark Council, which refused to let them speak at March’s Council Assembly, is still not properly engaging.
The council wrote to residents on April 25 saying it wanted to hear from those who had complaints about their windows.
It gave them until Friday, May 3, to respond but some residents claim they only received the letters on April 30.
Southwark Council wrote: “If we do not hear from you by Friday 3rd May and, are unable to speak to you as part of the door-knocking exercise, we will assume that you are satisfied with the works”.
Councillor Sarah King, cabinet member for council homes, said: “Residents have told us about the problems with their windows for some time, and we know that we need to make sure we get this right so they can live comfortably in their homes. In response to this, inspections were carried out to find out what the problems are so that we can fix them – some of that work has already happened.
“Alongside this, we now have a dedicated, independent Friend for Kirby residents, who has been with the team to talk to residents about their homes and any issues with them.
“So far we’ve been able to speak to the majority of residents but we want to be able to resolve things for everyone so please let us know about any problems with your home when we visit.”
Calfordseaden and Elkins were approached for comment.