Southwark has hundreds of unsafe council homes according to govt. figures

The statistics have set the number of hazardous council homes in Southwark at 341, but council leader Cllr Peter John said this was actually 229 – 199 of which are on the Ledbury Estate.

The remaining 30 were properties with issues such as cooker locations or missing handrails, he said.

But the bulk of London local authorities – 25 out of 32 – do not have any hazardous council homes.

Hackney has the second highest number of hazardous council homes at 114,  while Camden has 98, Islington has 78, Greenwich has 77, Tower Hamlets has 29, Kensington and Chelsea has 26, and Croydon has two.

Lib Dem opposition leader Cllr Anood Al-Samerai said “people’s lives are at risk.”

Speaking at a council meeting she said: “It means [people are at] credible risk of extreme harm from...pest infestation, structural collapse, radiation poisoning, carbon monoxide poisoning and gas explosions.

“I am outraged we are not sorting it out.

“A great number of those are in the Ledbury. Why is it taking so long [to make the homes safe] when we have got a housing crisis?

Labour council leader Cllr Peter John said the authority was not the only one to have problems, and said the council was transparent with the work it was doing.

“I think what is really important is that as a council we are being transparent about the issues we face and we are being honest with the residents when we are having issues.

“At the moment investigative work goes on.

“We are on top of the situation at Ledbury and we are working very close with residents,”

Southwark Council said it would refurbish the four towers on the Ledbury Estate, in a move applauded by estate residents.

Bromyard House, Peterchurch House, Sarnsfield House, and Skenfrith House on  Ledbury Estate were found to have structural problems in 2017.

To fund the £32.5m refurbishment, new homes will be build on land adjacent to the site, with at least 50 per cent to be council homes.