All homeowners were recently issued with a letter referring to the GHA’s statement of intent about future maintenance and repair work. This is a charter for milking homeowners dry for every penny they have and should be opposed by everyone. If you are aggrieved about this daylight robbery of homeowners by the robber barons, i.e. the GHA, then please attend our next meeting on 21 April at Jury’s Inn, Jamaica Street, Glasgow, at 7 p.m.
This Campaign, with over 50 homeowners and tenants, successfully occupied the GHA on Wednesday 30 March, demanding that an independent survey be carried out on the sub-standard overcladding and re-roofing work. GHA’s reponse to the media was that the independent survey had been carried out by BRE. This was a lie, as BRE’s so-called survey only looked at less than 20 properties out of 86,000. We are demanding from the major political parties that they commit themselves to a representative sample survey of overcladding and re-roofing work. If this survey is not carried out, we are facing a housing and health time bomb, meaning that thousands of homes will be demolished within the next few years and respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis will develop in young children. This must not be allowed to happen.
We enclose hereunder the list of indicative evidence of sub-standard work so that you can see for yourselves that GHA’s Quality Assurance is non-existent.
N.B. Sam Harper was the Chair of the GHA for 5 years and a Committee member for a further two years. GHA’s Board supports an independent survey to be carried out. If he is of that opinion, then we need this independent survey now.
LIST OF KNOWN SUB-STANDARD WORK DONE BY GHA LTD 2005 TO DATE IN RELATION TO HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME
Introduction
It is clear that, over the past year, major problems have been identified with the GHA’s Home Improvement Programme of overcladding, re-roofing and re-guttering. It is more than snagging, as proof has emerged of major sub-standard work with no pre-installation surveys having been carried out, no monitoring of work having been done and work which has been signed off as complete by GHA officials who are not qualified Clerks of Works.
The result has been complaints and subsequent proof of sub-standard work, causing dampness and cracks etc., with one written report concluding that housing prices may decline.
The proof which has emerged is consistent and troubling, suggesting that, unless the full extent of sub-standard work is identified and remedied, there could be thousands of demolitions within the next two decades. It is therefore imperative that the Scottish Government carry out an independent sample specialist technical survey of the overcladding, re-roofing and re-guttering work carried out by GHA Ltd. In order to identify the full extent of the sub-standard work carried out so that it can be rectified before it is too late.
In conclusion, every time we have approached GHA Ltd. about the proof that we have, they have taken action to remedy said problems on these properties. Why should our campaign be the lightning rod to identify sub-standard work when their quality assurance systems should be doing this?
The proof given below we believe to be the tip of an iceberg, meaning that there is a compelling need for an independent sample specialist technical study of the GHA Ltd home improvement work to be carried out by the Scottish Government.
It is time for action, not further procrastination.
The List of known sub-standard work
Sixteen tower blocks overcladded by the contractor ROK are being re-done completely as a result of pressure from this campaign during the Glasgow North bye-election in 2009. The 16 tower blocks are situated in Helensvale, Springburn, Parkhead and Sandyhills. The rectification work only started in June 2010.
At a meeting attended by Bob Doris MSP and myself with GHA officials, said officials contradicted one another on the causes of the problems in relation to the overcladding of the tower blocks, with one GHA official, Ian Duff, admitting that moisture and evaporation got in behind the overcladding (See enclosed GHA Minutes, page 2.)
In Cardonald, homeowners commissioned Robert Kohn, one of Scotland’s top structural engineers, and he concluded that the properties at 102 and 104 Berryknowes Road (maisonette flats) had 7 major faults, which resulted in cracks appearing and water ingress. He concluded that the value of these homes may decline as a result. (Kohn Report enclosed.) The overcladding work was carried out by Campbell Construction.
At 517 St George’s Road (flats), all 4 homeowners, Mr & Mrs Ahmed, Mr & Mrs Fenton, Mr & Mrs Nazir and one other, stated that they had lived there for many years without dampness and only after overcladding work was completed in March 2009 severe dampness appeared. Members of the campaign looked at these homes and concluded with the homeowners that the overcladding had changed the configuration and performance of the building, resulting in a “closing of the box”, i.e. three walls out of four were overclad, helping to raise the ambient temperature and in combination with increased air tightness there was nowhere for the moist air to go except on to the remaining cold wall, where dampness occurred. (This work was carried out by Lovell.)
GHA Ltd state that the BRE Report commissioned by themselves, states that there is no causal link between overcladding and dampness (a claim rejected by all homeowners at the above property in a recent letter to GHA Ltd). In fact, the same BRE Report, between pages 22 and 24, clearly outlines that there is a causal link between overcladding and dampness (BRE Report enclosed).
In Summerston, all flats had overcladding and re-roofing done within the last 2 years. An internal GHA commissioned report by Orchard Construction Services is enclosed. This report clearly states that there were no roof vent tiles fitted in any area of the roof at Flat 3/1, 2 Geary Street, Summerston. The report’s conclusion is damning in that it also states that there were no roof vent tiles put in any of the surrounding buildings of this type in this area. The result of this would clearly lead to dampness. This work was carried out by the contractor Morris & Spottiswood.
In Bridgeton in 2010, flats on Walkinshaw Street and Heron Street had major cracks and holes left by the contractor Lovell’s after the overcladding was signed off by GHA. The resulting complaints have led to recladding taking place again. (Photographs from Bridgeton Community Council are enclosed.)
In Pollok, Connaught Partnership carried out overcladding and re-roofing between 2007 and 2009. More than 200 homes have had to be recladded and re-roofed for a second time. In fact, in July 2010, Connaught Partnership had to partially re-roof 88 homes because of rain penetration through the new roofing near the chimneys.
The following list of homes in Pollok is illustrative of said problems:
181 Templelands Road (dampness)
183 Templelands Road (dampness)
185 Templelands Road (dampness)
187 Templelands Road (recladded for second time)
151 Peat Road (recladded for second time)
153 Peat Road (recladded for second time)
125 Househillwood Road (re-roofed twice).
The following addresses are also illustrative of severe problems with GHA Ltd’s home improvement work.
209 Forge Street (dampness and damage to property)
160 Pentland Road (dampness in common area due to defective re-roofing)
60 Inveresk Street (finished render on gable end wall clearly not up to standard – see enclosed photograph)
70 Broadholm Street (a mini-multi-story, 10 floors high. Bulging and blistering behind overcladding. See enclosed photographs from Parkhouse Community Council.)
Conclusion
The above evidence of sub-standard work on the GHA Ltd Home Improvement Programme is only the known evidence. It is clear that there is much more sub-standard work yet to be uncovered, but this can only be done by an independent specialist technical survey carried out by the Scottish Government to identify the full extent of this potential housing and health time bomb. I implore you, as the Minister for Housing and Communities, to commission such a survey so that this sub-standard work can be rectified and thousands of potential demolitions can be avoided.
SEAN CLERKIN
Chairperson, Glasgow Homeowners’ Campaign
Glasgow Homeowners' Campaign 