Portishead Marina residents trapped in year-long cladding crisis awaiting safety repairs

ITV News reporter Eli-Louise Wringe spoke to the residents living in the apartments at Portishead Marina

Dozens of residents in apartments at Portishead Marina are expressing frustration and fear as they continue to wait for unsafe cladding to be removed from their homes, over four years after it was first identified as a hazard.

Following a safety report conducted in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, significant defects were found in the building, leaving residents in prolonged uncertainty over the timeline and cost of necessary repairs.

Residents say their experience living in these apartments has turned into a nightmare since the fire safety issues came to light.

Pam Moore, who has lived in her apartment for nearly ten years, described the emotional toll of the years-long ordeal: “At first, it was absolutely terrifying. Then we were reassured that our building was safe.

"Then we were told, ‘Oh no, actually it’s not.’ Then we were all worried, as we were told it was going to be around £60,000 per apartment, which we thought we would have to pay.

"That was really scary because I just thought, ‘Where am I going to get that money from?’ Then the government stepped in and things became financially much better.

"But now we feel like we can’t get on with our lives because we’ve got this thing hanging over us all the time - it’s going to be in the spring, it’s going to be in the autumn - and we’re still here."

Back in 2021, a safety report revealed serious failings in the building, including missing fire breaks and flammable insulation.

Despite some interior safety measures, such as fire alarms and new fire doors, the building’s exterior remains untouched.

For residents like David Matthews, the lack of progress feels like abandonment. He said: “People have been affected health-wise, certainly people have been affected financially, and it’s just left everybody in a state of limbo.

“You just can’t get on with your life. It’s a one-way conversation between the leaseholders, the owners, the freeholder, and the builder. It’s certainly very tortuous.”

The complexity of the situation is compounded by the building’s leasehold status. While developer Crest Nicholson has agreed to pay for the repairs, the leasehold structure means that Aviva, the freeholder, holds authority over decision-making.

Residents say they feel powerless as they await updates and action. David added: “The very frustrating thing is we are just sitting here having it all done to us.

"We, as owners - or leaseholders, as we’re called - have absolutely no say in what goes on, and the people who are making those decisions don’t even talk to us.

"They don’t even tell us what decisions they’ve made because that is what the law allows them to do. I think it needs government intervention, and it needs to be about leasehold in general.

"Leasehold is the thing that is causing us most of our issues because we, the 94 families who live here, have got no rights whatsoever in any of this. We just have to have it all done to us.”

This week, in response to a National Audit Office (NAO) report about the removal of dangerous cladding from residential buildings, the government said it wants to speed up the work and empower regulators to take action against developers and owners who "fail to act".

Sadik Al-Hassan, Labour's new MP for North Somerset, told ITV that the residents in Portishead are "rightfully distressed and upset by the amount of time it has taken to get remediation".

"I've bene talking with the Ministry and I've also got a meeting coming up with the minister to have this discussion about what is going on and the speech at which it's going on".

He added that "they need for us as a government to hold these builders to account".

In a statement to ITV News, freeholder Aviva acknowledged the concerns of residents: “We appreciate the concerns and difficulties facing residents and leaseholders whose buildings have fire safety issues requiring remediation.

"As fund manager for the landlord, we are committed to engaging pro-actively with all interested parties to secure the remediation of affected buildings.

"We have worked in this spirit with the developer of Ninety4 The Estuary, Crest, and have agreed the remediation works agreement.

"This will be signed by the landlord and Crest once Crest have received the Local Authority’s approval to their proposed remediation works, which we understand is expected towards the end of the year.”

Developer Crest Nicholson confirmed that plans are in place and that a contractor is ready to begin work once planning permission is secured: “We have appointed a contractor who is ready to commence works, once we receive planning permission from North Somerset Council.

“We will continue to keep residents informed with regular updates on our progress. Crest Nicholson remains committed to carrying out remedial works on all of our affected developments at no cost to leaseholders.”

While another nearby block, also developed by Crest Nicholson, has begun its cladding removal, the residents of Ninety4 The Estuary are hoping that their building will soon follow.