Grenfell Tower In Dire Need Of Modernisation

This rather good letter deserves our close attention....The Dame


Subject: Grenfell Tower in Dire Need of Modernisation
Importance: High

Dear Cllr Coleridge,

We would like to bring this matter to your attention and also the rest of the recipients of this email. We refer to the heating system, windows replacement, security, cleaning, repairs, heath and safety issues at Grenfell Tower.

Please see below the extract about the Edward Wood Estate, a short walk away from Lancaster West Estate and in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The RBKC has a good working relationship with LBHF and should be very aware of the work which is well under way. They have made every effort to make a significant improvement under their 'Community Energy Saving Programme' (CESP) to convert residential tower blocks to the energy-efficient social housing of the future”.

The irony is that the proposed academy is going to be built right next to Grenfell Tower, an academy with a 21^st century heating system and double glazed windows. The council and the managing agents K&CTMO are allowing Grenfell Tower to remain a building which is stuck in the 60’s. The area can not be considered to be regenerated without an upgrade to Grenfell Tower.

It was confirmed the Estate management Board(EMB) and you also heard at the stakeholders meeting dated 29^th November 2011, the EMB existed before the K&CTMO allowed heat to be wasted from the chimney. The heating cost is 1/3 of all service charges at Grenfell Tower. It is because of heating that rent and service charges are so high. It was also discussed at the meeting how dangerous and inhabitable the heating system is at Grenfell Tower. The council’s managing agents has reduced the Grenfell Tower to slum and it is quite sad for the residents of Grenfell Tower.

The residents of Grenfell Tower only use heating a handful of times during the year in extreme cold. The main boiler has to be turned on 24/7 to provide for the hot water for 24/7 generating extremely excessive bills which are unacceptable. We the Grenfell Leaseholder’s Association (GTLA), want to know how you can pay for something you are not using in this day and age.

The rents and service charges at Grenfell Tower are the highest in the Borough and this is most certainly not reflected in the level of services. The K&CTMO are only interested in raising a large tender from the RBKC and provide the bare minimum work to the Grenfell Tower.

It is totally inconceivable that the council and the their managing agent s are not prepared to improve the living standard of the resident of Grenfell Tower with a  21^st century academy on its door step. How will it be of any benefit to the residents of Grenfell Tower?

Extract from the stakeholder meeting dated 29^th November 2011.

3.3       RB stated that loads of money has been spent on the heating system, new pumps/valves but it seems to have had little affect or no effect.  He stated that there needs to be some genuine work done to rebalance the heating and it controls.

3.9       RB Robert Bryan (EMB) stated that a survey was carried out by the EMB Board and it showed that a lot of heat was being wasted from the chimney.  This poses the question why are we wasting heat (Wasting heat?) and not recycling?

Edward Woods Estate - London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

Brayer  Group were successfully appointed by Hammersmith and Fulham Homes to carry out an exemplar energy efficient programme of overcladding and environmental improvements, including the installation of extensive solar voltaic panel array systems and wind turbines to the Edward Woods Estate in West London, as part of major refurbishment programme to overhaul three hard-to-tackle inner city high-rise tower blocks.

The aim of the programme is to improve the living environment for residents, as part of an ongoing regeneration on the Estate, benefiting the community as a whole. The works will only improve the living conditions of residents and aesthetic appearance of the blocks as wells as delivering significant reductions in energy consumption, costs and CO² emissions.

Refurbishment project in Hammersmith (London)

The Edward Woods Estate, three 24 storey blocks near Shepherds Bush in West London, is a 1960’s social housing development which is being refurbished rather than demolished and replaced.

Preparatory works started in October 2009 with the main project underway a few months later.

About the project

The £12.2 million refurbishment of the Edward Woods Estate is intended to extend the life of the towers through comprehensive repair works as well as undertaking a thorough thermal and visual upgrade. In addition, the scheme establishes a flagship for building-integrated renewable technologies within the Borough. The project will see all of the tower blocks given a combination of Rockwool Rockshield and Rockwool Rockpanel that will smarten up the estate and improve the buildings whilst lowering resident’s heating bills.

Residents have been involved in the scheme from the start, with representatives from each block working with the design consultants, using their local knowledge to help steer the proposals for the benefit of all who live there.

Project objectives

The project has a number of key objectives:

·         to extend the life of the building for another 40 years

·         to improve SAP ratings (energy efficiency ratings) and improve thermal comfort for residents

·         to reduce fuel poverty concerns for many residents

·         to improve the appearance of the towers in line with the wider regeneration of the area

·         to establish an exemplar of building-integrated renewable technologies

This 18.000 sqm sustainable scheme comprises of completely thermal overcladding upgrade to current building regulations, Photovoltaic panels, Solar Thermal Collectors and condensing boilers.

We thank all the recipients of this email for taking the time to read this email.

The GTLA (Grenfell Tower Leaseholder’s Association) also appreciate the offer of regular monthly stakeholders meetings. It allows us to discuss our issues and concerns with the management of K&CTMO and their sub-agents in relation to Grenfell Tower and the Lancaster West Estate. 

We welcome the suggestion made by Mr Robert Black the Chief Executive of K&CTMO directly to the GTLA that he wished to establish a strong working relationship. But, Mr Black has failed to realise that GTLA has been liaising with K&CTMO for the past two years, have raised countless issues and concerns over this period and are yet to see any tangible improvements to Grenfell Tower.

GTLA has no desire to hold any meeting individually either with the council or their appointed managing agents. It has to be the LWE (Lancaster West Estate) Stakeholders who collectively make an effort to bring real changes for the resident of Grenfell Tower and for the wider community. It has been almost three months and there has no follow up meeting.  Now is the time for some real action. It is inconceivable that a modern 21^st academy can be built aside a tired, ugly building that is Grenfell Tower and is in definite need of an upgrade.

I have enclosed a document containing pictures comparing the plans for the Edward Woods Estate and Grenfell Tower.

Kind Regards,

Mr Tunde Awoderu

The Vice Chairman

The Grenfell Tower Leaseholder’s Association