The recladding work on your homes is finally nearing completion, and although considerable scaffolding remains on two of the four towers, it's likely it will be completed within the first half of the year.
We hope there are no more problems however, given Labour's track record handling Chalcots, it is by no means guaranteed. This will be almost 9 years since the evacuation of the buildings in 2017, over 5 years since Wates were dumped as contractors and 5 years after the contract was awarded to McLaren Construction. One would think, in light of such substantial delays, there would be tangible progress and the management would have been efficient. The reality tells quite a different story:
- Cost rises
- A Housing Ombudsman judgement of severe maladministration - judgement went against Camden in relation to overheating issues with the window-opening design in 2024.
- Windows chaos - These were found to require special opening devices in many cases. A Conservative activist. discovered that a large percentage of the windows had been installed incorrectly early in 2025. Most recently, the new windows are prone to slamming shut.
- Wrong-coloured cladding - The obvious fact that the building cladding has 4 distinct finish colours, reported by the Conservatives.
- Failure to report - In 9 years, there is still no progress on the much-promised Phase II technical report into the whole situation.
Other clear-cut examples of Labour's mismanagement of social housing and incompetence:
- Camden Fire Safety scandal - Camden Council’s lax approach to fire safety was condemned in a scathing report by the Government’s Regulator of Social Housing. The report revealed that around 9,000 homes had not been fitted with a smoke alarm and thousands of essential fire safety works remain outstanding. In 2024, Camden was fined £500,000 for fire safety breaches that resulted in the tragic death of a resident in a fire in May 2017. The report found that, five years after the fire, Camden Council still did not have adequate systems in place to keep residents’ safe. At a full council meeting, Conservative Councillors called on Camden to apologise for the breaches. We demanded urgent action to clear the backlog of work that had persisted for years.
- Mould in Camden Council Flats - Camden Council faced a special investigation by the national housing watchdog into its handling of damp and mould complaints. (Camden New Journal, 18 Dec 2023). So far they have failed to act. It was further reported that 'The Housing Ombudsman' said it wants to know why the Town Hall has high maladministration rates. Every week the New Journal receives multiple calls from people living in mouldy homes and who have been fighting to get the problem resolved, but often facing months-long waits for fixes.
As residents you have all suffered a horrendous disruption to your lives. Labour Camden led this mess. They should apologise to all of you. Labour Councillors have swallowed every excuse from their builders. You deserve better.
Camden elects a new Council on May 7th. We hope you remember this and vote for the Conservatives, We have consistently held Camden to account and have three fantastic candidates in Primrose Hill with Esmeralda Akpoke, Paul Tavares and Shajib Ziffer.
We would love to hear from you - contact any of your local Conservative candidates:
Esmeralda Akpoke - [email protected]
Paul Tavares - [email protected]
Shajib Ziffer - [email protected]
Useful contacts:
Camden Council (including out of hours) 0207 7974 4444
Council Housing Repair www.camden.gov.uk/housing repairs or text to 07360 277909
Camden Council cost of living support www.camden.gov.uk/find.supportin-camden
Report litter/graffiti/flytipping via the ‘Love Clean Streets’ app
Get help for someone rough sleeping via the ‘Camden Safter Streets’ app or email [email protected]
Report a community safetly issue [email protected]
