Andrew Dismore

Family Mosaic, part of the Peabody Housing Association, are finally to start repair works on a terrace of 14 houses at Penniwell Close in Edgware. Following complaints from residents, mould was found within the roof space of block 3-29, which had only been built in April 2008 as a pilot phase of the Stonegrove Regeneration project. Building contractors United House, now known as United Living ascribed the mould to poor ventilation and the lifestyle of some tenants.

 

Residents were informed of the need to move by Family Mosaic at a public meeting in August 2016, with the aim of completion by June 2017. However, Family Mosaic have only managed to move the last family this week, and now expect work to be completed by Christmas.

 

Labour London Assembly Member Andrew Dismore has criticised the performance of Family Mosaic, saying it was outrageous they had blamed the residents for the problem which they now accept was poor construction, they had not resolved the problems quickly enough, and that the overall quality of build in Barnet regeneration schemes were poor.

 

Mr Dismore said:

 

‘After their contractors first wrongly blamed residents for the problems rather than their own poor workmanship, Family Mosaic first wrote to me as long ago  as February this year to say what they were going to do. They have taken months to do anything, and are now likely to be very delayed in finishing the work and getting families moved back in. I don’t believe the work will be done before Christmas, given they had previously said they thought it would take six months to complete. They have handled the whole situation appallingly badly and should be ashamed of themselves.’

 

‘There is also a wider question about just how shoddy the work on Barnet regeneration schemes are. This same estate saw the roof blown off one of its newly built blocks not that long ago. We have seen time and time again the appallingly poor quality of work on new build. There doesn’t appear to be any check or control on building contractors and materials in Barnet, any old cheap rubbish seems to do. It just isn’t good enough, people deserve better.’