What works are being carried out?
This first phase of the project is to address the key concerns of the Fire and Rescue Service (London Fire Brigade) and our fire assessor (Savills).
Why this is important:
This first step will improve your safety by providing additional early warning in the event of a fire inside your flat. This is to install LD1 classification alarms within your homes to ensure early warning. Our contractor, Millwood, will carry out these works. Once completed, we will submit a retrospective application for building control approval to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).
Temporary alarms will also be installed in the riser, alerting all connected flats if smoke or fire is detected there until the passive works (detailed below) are completed. This will help you leave your property quickly and safely if needed. We appreciate your cooperation in providing access.
Appointments & Access:
· Millwood will contact residents directly to arrange appointments starting Monday, 15 December.
· Some appointments may be available during the holiday period.
· Each appointment will take a full day to remove existing alarms and install the new system.
You can remain in your flat during the works.
This second phase of the project is to address the key concerns of the Fire and Rescue Service (London Fire Brigade) and our fire assessor (Savills).
Why this is important:
These improvements will remove the secondary escape routes entirely and improve protection to your main exit (front entrance door) in case of fire. Until then, we encourage residents to keep internal doors closed for added safety.
This involves ensuring there is enough fire resistance via your internal doors and walls for the entirety escape route (stairwell) to the main entrance so that the balcony and internal escapes can be officially removed. Work is also required to ensure separation between flats within the risers (a shaft which travels the height of the building which contain water pipes, electrical wiring and waste pipes), mainly leading to kitchens and bathrooms.
These works include:
• Replacing internal doors
• Removing redundant pipework and cables from risers
• Resolving compartmentation issues
These will follow after a standard BSR application for building control approval, which we aim to submit early in the new year. Higgins will manage and carry out these works.
Appointments & Access:
Once approval is granted, Higgins will arrange appointments. We will share more details as we progress.
Higgins have been selected by Notting Hill Genesis / Folio to obtain the missing information by scanning every property in the estate, investigate what remediation measures are required and subsequently deliver these works. At this stage, we know that works are required to the window panels (spandrels) and fibrous material (wood wool) on the ceilings of car ports and walkways.
Phase 1 | Alarm Installation
Key Information
Contractor: Millwood
Contact: Catherine Robertson 07977 532 961 | catherine.robertson@millwood.co.uk
Two separate systems will be installed, with detectors, sounders and trunking secured to ceilings:
|
System 1 (Permanent) — LD1 hardwired alarms with detectors in every room (except bathrooms), linked within each flat with a central control/hush switch. |
System 2 (Temporary) — Detectors in risers with sounders inside the flat to provide interim protection until compartmentation works are complete. These will be removed once the riser works are completed. |
- Installations take approx. 3-4 hours to complete
- There will be limited noise and dust from drilling activities where new wiring is installed
- The operatives will clean up after the works are completed
- Where additional making good is required, a further appointment from Millwood will be required for sanding and painting of localised areas only.
- Residents can remain in their homes during these works. However, please let your housing officer know if you have any vulnerabilities that we need to be aware of before starting the works.
- An independent quality check will be completed by PRP, our Clerk of Works for all properties.
- Handover pack and certificate will be provided for each flat upon project completion.
Phase 2 | Internal Works
Key Information
Contractor: Higgins
Contact: Carly Colville 07798 677 034 | carly.colville@higginspartnerships.co.uk or bakersfield@higginspartnerships.co.uk
These works are currently in the design stage and include the following:
- Replacement or repair of internal fire doors to ensure access via the stairway is protected
- Removal of redundant services to the flat (i.e. pipework, cables, etc) in the hidden 'riser' space that runs through the flat
- Ensuring the 'riser' is sealed (i.e. ensuring full compartmentation) to prevent the spread of smoke
Phase 3 | External remediation works
Key Information
Contractor: Higgins
Contact: Carly Colville 07798 677 034 | carly.colville@higginspartnerships.co.uk or bakersfield@higginspartnerships.co.uk
These works are currently in the design stage and include the following:
- Cover wood wool materials on the ceilings of the walkways and ground floor car ports (encapsulation)
- Replacement of windows (including the ‘spandrel’ panels within the window unit)
- Replacement of timber panelling with a non-combustible alternative
- Removal of external balconies
- Structural reinforcements:
- Small wooden supports added between timber joists in certain flats
- Strapping of these joists to walls for added stability
- Additional floor materials installed between concrete slabs
- Brick ties to be checked and improved
Project team
- Millwood: Jessica McArdle (Senior Project Manager), Catherine Robertson (Project Administrator)
- Higgins: Michael Reardon (Senior Project Manager), Carly Colville (Resident Liaison Officer)
- Airey Miller: Ellen Gaisie (Client Representative), Chiara Melessaccio (Client Representative), Danu Chandra (Cost Consultant)
- Additional Consultant / Specialist Roles: Architect, Fire Engineer, Structural Engineer