Residents say they are 'trapped' in unsellable Southampton flats due to cladding
WATCH: Residents in a Southampton high-rise say they're 'trapped' due to cladding, as ITV Meridian's Harry Acton reports.
People who live in a Southampton high-rise say they're 'effectively trapped' due to the potentially dangerous cladding on the outside of the building.
Residents in Oceana Boulevard say their flats are unsellable due to the issues cladding poses, and say the issue has been ongoing for a decade.
They have welcomed an announcement by the government, which says that building over 11 metres tall with unsafe cladding will have to be fixed by the end of 2029, but it still leaves years of uncertainty.
Kate Bean bought her flat under the belief that it was the ideal place for retirement. She says she is one of the luckier ones, as she hasn't tried to sell up, but hears of the struggles others in the building face.
She told ITV Meridian she has seen families 'torn apart' by the stress caused by the problems in the building, and says others have lost tens of thousands of pounds to try and offload their flats.
"A lot of people are trapped in their flats", she said. "They can't sell their homes because of these issues. Families have outgrown their properties.
"In some instances, I think families are falling apart because of this. And that is a tragedy. You know, nobody wants that because of a financial issue."
WATCH: Kate Bean told ITV Meridian about the stress the issues with the buildings have caused.
The uncertainty over whether remedial action will be taken is also causing a problem.
Leaseholders say they have been struggling for years to get clear answers as to what is going on, and whether works will be carried out.
Dr Ian Kendal owns a dental practice on the ground floor of Oceana Boulevard and regularly meets up with residents from across the estate.
He told ITV Meridian there's a genuine fear that something bad will happen, as they don't know what materials were used in the construction of the building.
He said: "This has been going on for such a long time and caused a lot of upset for many of the residents including myself as a business owner here.
"The fear after Grenfell was always 'could it happen to us?'. And of course you can't [assume that], we're not experienced enough to understand the building or what materials were used."
WATCH: Dr Ian Kendal says people worry about what might happen due to the materials used when the building was constructed.
Barrat Redrow plc, which built the property, told ITV Meridian it is currently carrying out investigations to ascertain what works will need to be made to the building so that it can be made safe.
A spokesperson said: “Specialist contractors are currently undertaking intrusive investigations at Oceana Boulevard to determine the extent of remedial work required to the external wall system at the development.
"Once the investigations are complete a detailed scope of works will be produced, and the remedial designs will be submitted to the Building Safety Regulator for approval.
"We are committed to completing the necessary remedial works as quickly as possible, and we are providing residents with regular updates regarding the current investigations and ongoing remedial process.”
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…