Evidence has come to light that Haringey Council failed to release results of asbestos surveys to leasehold residents of properties where Homes for Haringey is the freeholder for over a year.
The surveys, which showed a ‘high risk’ of asbestos in flats on the Noel Park Estate, scoring 12 out of 12 in the risk assessment, were carried out in late 2019 and early 2020, but were only released by Homes for Haringey in March 2021, following direct requests from leaseholders.
Electrical surveys undertaken at the same time, which concluded that existing systems failed safety standards, were also not released to leaseholders living in the properties.
The surveys were conducted on a number of leasehold properties on the Noel Park Estate, where the council has previously sent bills, in some cases of over £100,000, to leaseholders in order to carry out maintenance works, including replacing prefab “pods” that form part of their properties.
Cllr Luke Cawley-Harrison (LD-Crouch End), Leader of the Opposition on Haringey Council, who received copies of a number of the surveys, has raised a number of urgent questions with Homes for Haringey about the revelations, including why the reports were withheld, and whether any of the urgent work the reports recommended had yet been carried out.
Cllr Cawley-Harrison said:
“The way these leaseholders have been treated by Haringey Council over the last year and a half is a disgrace. It is unbelievably negligent that residents were not told about asbestos and unsafe electrics in their flats for over a year, and a thorough independent investigation about what has gone on here is urgently needed.”
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Labour-run Haringey Council has been slammed by the UK’s housing watchdog (ombudsman) for a “culture of apathy and acceptance of poor practice” in its dealings with council tenants and leaseholders.
