The Cabinet Member for Housing & Estate Renewal
introduced the report which related to the medium-rise blocks
on the estate that had failed a test relating to blocks with piped
gas. It was noted that the only way to fully mitigate this risk was
to remove piped gas to the blocks entirely. Homes for Haringey had
already started the work to achieve this, and this report
recommended the approval of a contract to carry out the next stages
of the work.
Following questions from Cllr Dennison the subsequent points
were noted:
- Regarding the discrepancy between 1.4 and 6.12 of the report,
the latter paragraph was intending to indicate the lead in time
from January 2018 to October 2018 for fitting temporary
boilers.
- The Council would be providing financial assistance to residents
who found their heating bills were higher as a result of the use of
temporary boilers (as temporary boilers were oil fired which was
more expensive than gas). It was the Council’s intention to
make sure that residents were not worse off during the period of
the temporary boilers. By phase 3, when gas boilers would be
replaced by a district system, the Council would be acquiring gas
at block prices and this would decrease the prices for
residents.
Following consideration of exempt information:
RESOLVED
- To
approve the direct award of the works contract at an estimated
value of £12.6m to Engie LTD (formerly Keepmoat LTD) through
the LHC framework (N7 – workstream three) for the works
required to install and commission a temporary heating system
across Broadwater Farm and latterly install and commission the full
energy system.
- To
approve as required by Section 1 – Financial Regulations
paragraph 5.23 (b) the virement of £3.210m from the HRW
leaseholder acquisition budget to the Broadwater Farm heating
scheme.
- To
approve as required by Section 1 – Financial Regulations
paragraph 5.23 (b) the virement of £4.008m from the Building
Regulations Review budget to the Broadwater Farm heating
scheme.
- To
agree the budget of £13.0m for the Broadwater Farm heating
scheme.
- To
agree not to seek to recharge leaseholders their proportion of the
cost of these capital works linked to the provision of temporary
heating systems and the full energy centre upgrade.
- To
note that unrecovered leaseholder charges will be no greater than
£2m.
Reason for
decision
The
nine medium-rise blocks on Broadwater Farm (Croydon, Debden,
Hawkinge, Hornchurch, Lympne, Manston, Martlesham, Rochford, and
Stapleton) have failed structural tests for Large Panel System
buildings with piped gas. A gas leak and explosion in one of these
blocks could lead to progressive collapse of the building and
significant loss of life.
The
following steps have been taken to mitigate the risks arising from
the findings of
the
structural test
- The replacement of gas cookers with electric cookers in 464
flats in nine medium rise blocks (the remaining flats already had
electric cookers)
- The installation of gas interrupter valves in all the 728 flats
in nine medium-rise blocks which will switch off the gas if a
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