Southampton Tower Block Residents Describe “Nightmare” Amid Unresolved Fire Safety Defects

Occupants of a high-rise building, found to contain fire safety deficiencies in the aftermath of the Grenfell fire, have described their situation as “living in a nightmare”. Oceana Boulevard, located in Southampton, was discovered to contain flammable substances in its balconies and fire doors that fail to seal completely, according to assessments conducted subsequent to the London high-rise catastrophe. Nevertheless, remediation work for fire safety has not commenced, and residents report experiencing escalating maintenance fees and difficulties in selling their properties. Barrett Homes, the developer, stated its dedication to financing and rectifying the structural flaws. Stewart Mills purchased his apartment with his girlfriend; subsequently, they married and now have two young sons. They wish to relocate from their two-bedroom flat to provide the boys with individual bedrooms and potentially a garden. However, they have been unable to sell the property due to the necessary fire safety improvements. “The leaseholders here are completely innocent but we are mortgage prisoners,” he commented. He added that the rising service charges, intended to cover insurance and temporary fire safety provisions, had intensified their stress. He further stated, “I’m incredibly frustrated that we are seeing more delays in getting things fixed because of bureaucracy between builders, freeholders and managing agents – none of whom actually live here.” Ellie Biessek acquired her two-bedroom apartment as a new build in 2008 but expressed feeling desperate and without hope currently. “It’s a nightmare living here now,” she remarked. She continued, “It’s terrifying hearing your building is not fire safe.” She conveyed her concern and anger regarding the service charge, which had escalated from £1,500 to over £6,000 annually. “I can’t afford that but I can’t sell the place either because no-one would get a mortgage for it,” she explained. Christina Kiryakova is no longer an occupant of Oceana Boulevard. She stated that she felt compelled to leave due to daily anxiety about how she would evacuate during a fire. Last week, she sold her flat at auction for £60,000 less than her purchase price in 2019. While she settled her mortgage, she forfeited all her equity and has been obliged to return to live with family. “I’ve lost a huge, huge amount – and it’ll be years and years before I can ever have the chance of being a homeowner again,” she lamented. “I’m frustrated that this is still allowed to continue seven years after Grenfell – we should have sorted out these issues.” She added, “Instead we’re just got various people arguing with each other about who is to blame and who should fix things.” She concluded, “It’s been a living nightmare.” Remediation efforts, scheduled to commence in September to strip combustible decking from balconies and terraces and substitute them with fire-resistant options, have been postponed. Barrett Homes had informed residents that these works were expected to last approximately 12 months. The construction firm has now informed the BBC that a different contractor and a fire engineering company have been engaged to conduct fresh assessments. The company indicated that these new surveys would begin next week to ascertain the required scope of work prior to presenting proposals to the Building Safety Regulator. The company has not provided a statement regarding the postponements. Darren Paffey, the Member of Parliament for Southampton Itchen, has met with property owners and expressed his dismay that individuals have been compelled to endure these circumstances for such an extended period. “Water is coming in through smoke extraction vents causing damage to homes, this isn’t acceptable,” he stated. He mentioned that government ministers are scheduled to convene with developers next week to advocate for more rapid advancement in the remediation projects. For updates, follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external links is available.