A crumbling  concrete wheelchair ramp that has gone wrong at Bray, Chalcots

• THERE are countless examples of sub-standard work and poor consultation on the Chalcots going back many decades and at its worse since the resident evacuations of June 23 2017, the largest mass evacuations since WWII.

Camden’s principal repairs contractor Wates Living Space Limited, which has secured a massive £0.8billion contract with Camden to deliver repairs service to all its properties across the borough, has a very poor track record of managing the quality of its repairs work.

Here are recent examples of a concrete wheelchair ramp gone wrong at Bray, Chalcots. Not only was the concrete not protected from footfall while drying but note all the garbage left around.

This has been left unresolved for weeks. The problem was accepted by Camden officers when presented with evidence of poor repairs.

It is now scheduled for rerepair. But it highlights that residents are constantly needed to police all repairs work on this estate.

Other examples here on the public Facebook Chalcots group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1697041063654533/.

Fortunately the Chalcots have active tenant and resident association community groups.

We had until last year a highly successful Chalcots Works Group but Councillor Meric Apak shut it down, recommending that officers do not attend – the works group was thereby axed last year because Camden Council did not like what was being said by TRA members!

Residents fear that when the major works commence next year this will be the standard of work to expect.

Time and time again the proven inability of Camden to manage its contractors is the primary cause of all the health and safety sub-standard work across estate properties of Camden.

Residents do not yet know who the selected new contractor will be and who will get the £100million + Chalcots recladding and new windows contract; but the inability of the landlord to manage contractors and the various levels of sub-contractors is the nightmare vision for all residents.

This has been an endemic problem for decades. Especially, with this new Chalcots project – and one would imagine it’s a very prestigious contract for Camden to get right.

But being a “build-only”, contract meaning that Camden are in charge of “all the design elements”, raises further concerns.

Naturally, for the sake of some 3,500 residents one hopes the result will be a success. But if residents are asked, right now, their opinion they will not be too hopeful of a successful or happy outcome.

NIGEL RUMBLE
Bray TRA Elected Representative
Hampstead DMC Elected Member