£74m approved to upgrade homes near Grenfell Tower

More than £74m has been allocated to refurbish 367 homes on the same estate as the remains of Grenfell Tower.

Kensington and Chelsea Council has approved a contract to get key works done at Barandon Walk, Testerton Walk and Hurstway Walk on the Lancaster West Estate. The improvements are expected to take three years to complete.

Currently, only 35% of the estate's 795 properties meet the Decent Homes Standard.

Mushtaq Lasharie, chairman of the Lancaster West Residents' Association, said: "After many years of engagement and co-design with residents, this programme remains central to the commitments made to the Lancaster West community following the Grenfell Tower tragedy."

Many of the walkway flats still have single glazing, and residents have previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the estate's temporary boiler system is inefficient.

The approved works include triple-glazed windows, external wall insulation, balcony upgrades, enhanced fire safety measures, and improvements to mechanical and electrical systems.

Elizabeth Campbell, leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, described the agreement as a "milestone in delivering what we said we would deliver to Lancaster West as a model 21st Century estate".

"I think it's really important now, for all the reasons that our residents have said, that we as a council honour our bit of the commitment and press on with this," the Conservative councillor added.

The work is being carried out in phases as there is not enough funding to complete the entire estate-wide programme at once, the council said.

A report published in May estimated the complete refurbishment of the estate will cost £244m, up from an earlier estimate of £118m in early 2018.

Central government has committed £25m towards the project so far.

Campbell said it was not yet clear whether further funding would be provided for the estate's renovation.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said they were "actively considering whether there is any further support we can provide".

However, they reiterated "that it is the responsibility of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council to complete the works and deliver for its residents".

The work was originally due to be completed by the end of 2020, but the project has undergone multiple changes and delays.

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