Cladding work on flats may not begin until 2028

Major repair work at a "hellhole" block of flats may not begin until 2028, housing association bosses have said.

The timeline emerged after tenants learned they would be permanently moved out of their homes at Harrington Court in Worcester, with Rooftop Housing saying it was responding to the scale of the job required.

Earlier this month, all 22 tenants were told they must vacate within six months amid cladding issues.

"The residents I've spoken to are really appreciative that we're being open and honest," said executive director at Rooftop Mark McEgan, who added that having people on site with so much work planned was not workable.

Since residents were informed of the plan by letter, some have told the BBC the building has had major problems with damp and mould, with one resident describing the environment as a hell hole.

The block, which opened 13 years ago, has an unusual horseshoe design, with wooden cladding that wraps around the front.

Investigations are under way to try to establish what exactly has gone wrong, although McEgan said he did not want to speculate and insisted the flats were safe.

The tenants have been offered £8,100 "home loss payments" as a way of compensation.

McEgan said: "What we want to do is put right some of the cladding issues at the front of the building - having people there in situ just isn't going to be viable.

"We'll be moving people out before the work starts, but we won't be starting that work for at least another 12 to 18 months.

"We've got a lot of extensive work to do, and we know the fundamentals, but I wouldn't want to speculate on a timeline at the moment.

"We want to move the residents out permanently - we don't want to move them out temporarily, and then find they've got to move somewhere else."

Bosses at Rooftop also said it would be challenging to re-house all the tenants in Worcester, with the likelihood that some may end up being relocated to neighbouring areas.

McEgan added: "It's always a challenge [to relocate people in Worcester] - within Worcester, we know there's issues with housing.

"We'll take into account if they've got any support needs, or issues with schooling and education and things like that, but if they can widen their [prospective] areas, we'll work with them even more.

"We have had a couple of people who've told us they want to move out of the area as well, but we'll be working with everyone to try and get the best possible solutions."

A drop-in event was held at The Hive in Worcester, where some residents said they were anxious about the relocation.

One man, who did not want to be named, said: "It's very unsettling - especially if you want to stay in Worcester like I do.

"I don't blame Rooftop, they are trying to help us. But we've got to get it sorted."

Another woman said: "It's incredibly stressful - it's been my home for a long time.

"I don't want to move out but we obviously don't have a choice."

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