Update on fire safety works on the Chalcots Estate
Camden Council is working 24 hours a day to deliver the works required by the fire service to allow residents to return to their homes.
You can read the detailed works programme and our summary of works is below.
Our aim is to start moving residents back into their homes from Wednesday 12 July on a phased basis and we are working towards an overall completion date of Monday 24 July 2017. There are a number of things that need to happen to achieve this.
We need residents’ help to be able us to start a phased reopening of the Chalcots as soon as possible.
We are in the process of contacting residents to make an appointment for them to return to their flats to oversee the upgrade or replacement of their front doors. Residents can also give us permission to carry out this work in their absence. Once this work had been done we will be able to bring in our independent building control experts to inspect the works. Once we are happy that the highest level of fire safety standards have been met we will, in consultation with the fire brigade, agree to reopen the buildings floor by floor.
This is a complicated process that will require residents to return to oversee work on their door then leave again to allow us to carry out inspections.
We want to be clear to residents that we will only ask them to return to the blocks if we are certain that they are safe. There will be further works within the blocks after residents have been allowed to return and this will include work to remove the exterior cladding.
We will work to minimise disruption for residents once they have returned and will work with the tenants and residents groups to agree a considerate approach to hours of working.
The cladding removal will take place as a second phase after the urgent internal works have been completed.
Specialist contractors have been abseiling down the sides of the buildings to survey all the exterior cladding to help us prepare for its removal and replacement with an alternative.
This is a detailed programme of works that we have published in order to be as transparent as possible. There are a number of dependencies required to keep the programme on track and as a result we may need to need to update it as we progress.
Phase One
Interim works include:
Fire protection and compartmentation (works to limit fire spread between flats and throughout the building) to four areas
- Between flats and lobbies; this involves upgrading the flat entrance doors
- Within Lobbies at each floor level
- Between lower ground floor (service/parking areas) and superstructure
- Within the central stairway (which is the designated means of escape)
Planned activity to allow residents to return
Dorney
Compartmentation between lower ground floor and superstructure to be completed by Wednesday 12July 2017.
Central stairway works completed Sunday 9 July 2017.
Fire stopping works, gas pipework and cable trays, completed Monday 10 July 2017.
Works to flat entrance doors commence Monday 10 July 2017, delivering 1 floor per day until Thursday 13 July 2017 at which time delivery increases to 2 floors per day.
Residents start returning to their homes from Wednesday 12 July 2017 for Ground and 1st floors, then progressive daily returns until expected date of full reoccupation on Monday 24 July 2017.
Bray
Compartmentation between lower ground floor and superstructure completed by Wednesday 12 July 2017.
Central stairway works completed Wednesday 5 July 2017.
Fire stopping works, gas pipework and cable trays, completed Monday 10 July 2017.
Works to flat entrance doors commence Friday 7 July 2017, delivering 1 floor per day until Thursday 13 July 2017, at which time delivery increases to 2 floors per day.
Residents start returning to their homes Wednesday 12 July 2017 to floors 1-4, then progressive daily returns until expected date of full reoccupation on Saturday 22 July 2017.
Taplow
Compartmentation between lower ground floor and superstructure completed by Wednesday 12 July 2017.
Central stairway works completed Sunday 9th July 2017.
Fire stopping works, gas pipework and cable trays, completed Monday 10 July 2017.
Works to flat entrance doors to begin Monday 10th July 2017. 1 floor per day until Thursday 13 July 2017, at which time delivery increases to 2 floors per day.
Residents start returning to their homes Wednesday 12 July 2017 to Ground and 1st floor, then progressive daily returns until expected date of full reoccupation on Monday 24 July 2017.
Burnham
Compartmentation between lower ground floor and superstructure completed by Wednesday 5 July 2017.
Central stairway works completed Wednesday 5 July 2017.
Fire stopping works, gas pipework and cable trays, floors 1 to 5 and 16 to 22 already complete, remaining works to be complete by Wednesday 12 July 2017.
Works to flat entrance doors commence Wednesday 5 July 2017, delivering 1 floor per day until Thursday 6 July 2017, after which delivery increases to 3 floors per day.
Residents start returning to their homes Wednesday 12 July 2017 to Ground to 18th floors, then progressive daily returns until expected date of full reoccupation on Friday 14 July 2017.
Blashford
The fire brigade have advised that Blashford is safe for residents but safety works are also required here. This work is expected to be completed by Sunday 9 July 2017.