A south London tower block riddled with multiple fire safety issues has been earmarked for demolition after a report concluded it would cost at least £23 million to retrofit and refurbish it.
Last week, Southwark Council’s Housing Scrutiny Commission discussed the future fate of Marie Curie House, a 1960s tower block on the Sceaux Gardens estate in Camberwell which now faces demolition due to the skyrocketing costs needed to make it safe.
The building is located opposite Lakanal House – a tower block where six people, including two children and a baby, tragically lost their lives in a fire in 2009. A final decision will be made by Southwark cabinet members later in December, with the recommended option being demolition.
In May 2021, Marie Curie residents were told they would have to leave their homes while works took place to make the building safe after it was discovered the previous year that it had multiple fire safety failings. At the time, the council planned to refurbish the block. Of the 98 two-bed flats, there are currently only six households who reside at the building.
A recent building survey found several critical concerns that pose serious risks to life safety and the long-term stability of the building, including explosion hazards and structural degradation due to humidity.
During last week’s meeting, Helen Dennis, cabinet member for new homes and sustainable development, said extra money would be needed on top of the reported £23 million because of needing to meet new fire safety standards.
Cllr Dennis said: “Even with that level of investment, the block would still carry a really significant risk with it and would need continual review and monitoring. In [light] of that we’ve been having to work together to look at options for the block and have come to the conclusion that we think the best option would be for demolition.”
He added that the council is looking to merge the site with the Florian and Racine sites, two tower blocks also located on the Sceaux Gardens Estate which achieved planning consent for 79 new council homes in April 2022.
So far, the council has made home loss payments of £6,500 per tenant which has estimated costs of £552,000 in total. Additionally there are 11 properties owned by leaseholders of which the council has purchased eight at an estimated cost of around £2,247,000.
Cllr Dennis added: “We are really aware of the sensitivities and the need to explain our decisions and also as we tried to do in the report, also explain why there is this heightened fire risk at Marie Curie when we have already made investments into Lakanal following the fire there and continue to propose some additional investments to remove the cladding there.
“At the moment the assessments of Lakanal are because the investments were made previously and it is in a reasonable condition from a fire safety building point of view but Marie Curie has deteriorated to such an extent that it wouldn’t be possible to make those investments now.”
