Norwich: People in flats with cladding share joy over fix

But fears remain the repairs won't be sorted for years.

Levelling up secretary Michael Gove is closing in on a contract with Britain's biggest housebuilders to help resolve the national cladding crisis exposed by the 2017 disaster in London.

David Atkinson, 75, is a retired civil engineer who lives in the Read Mills development in King Street.

David Atkins, who lives in New Half Moon Yard on the Read Mills development (Image: David Atkins)

In a survey in March 2021, an inspector found ACM cladding on the five apartment blocks - also used on Grenfell Tower.

He said: "This has been a long time coming. Gove seems to be moving forward with it, which brings some comfort.

"But it's going to take a hell of a long time to sort out."

The legally binding contract with major builders including Barratt Developments and Persimmon - the timing of which remains unclear - could ultimately cost the industry £5bn or more.

"Fortunately we don't want to sell our property but it's affecting those who want to move on," Mr Atkins added.

"Thousands are in this position.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove (Image: PA Media)

"We've had fire extinguishers turn up and fire safety notices but that's minor compared to what's required.

"We have cladding on our flat but we've also got two balconies. 

"If we have to replace the wood decking on those that's going to set us back £3,000.

"We're retired and don't have that money to splash.

"We feel relatively safe but fire safety is always in the back of our minds. It's been going on so long now we feel desensitised to it all."

The developer of Mr Atkinson's flat is the PJ Livesey Group - a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) which would not need to sign up to Gove's deal.

Read Mills development, Norwich (Image: Archant)

A spokeswoman said the group has been "actively engaged with the managing agents" and has acted as "a responsible developer", setting out the remedial work proposals at its own cost.

"The PJ Livesey Group remains committed to implementing appropriate remedial works at the development and will continue to engage with stakeholders to achieve this objective," she said.

Gillian Damerell said she has given up selling her flat due to issues with cladding and fire safety.

She moved out of her Dukes Palace Wharf property to rent elsewhere in the city and lets it out.

Leaseholders outside Dukes Palace Wharf building in Duke Street. From left, David Payne, Mary and Barry Sharp, Gill and Mike Pavitt, Grant Rudgley, and Gillian Damerell (Image: Archant)

"Progress feels so slow," she said. "And all the time we're waiting, lives are still in danger.

"It's the way that everything is taking so long, everybody's lives are on hold.

"Developers seem to have put profits over people's lives.

"This is the first time the government has admitted it's partly their fault.

"The demand it has put on leaseholders, the innocent victims - financial demands, demands on mental health, putting your life on hold and the time it occupies - there's no recompense from that.

"I'm glad that Gove is trying hard to move things forward - but I still feel really let down.

"It's taken them a long time to take this seriously and progress is far too slow."

Carli La Motte managed to sell her property in Paper Mill Yard in March, a process she said "nearly killed her".

Her two-bed apartment had no cladding directly on it, but other parts of the 180-apartment block do - which she said rendered it "worthless".

Carli La Motte at Paper Mill Yard, where she had an apartment which she was told is unsaleable due to the cladding on the building (Image: Archant)

"Cladding is the builder's or developers' problem," she said.

"You buy a flat in trust that everything about it is safe.

"My property did go down in value.

"A lot of people are left in limbo - they want to sell their flats but no one can get a mortgage on them to buy them because of cladding."

Guy Hudson from NRM, which represents Clarion which owns the freehold to Paper Mill Yard, said: "We did the relevant fire safety checks on the building and there were a couple of remedial works that were required.

"This was communicated to all the leaseholders

"Issues with needing an A1 or B1 certificate have been resolved and there have been many property sales at Paper Mill Yard since."