Residents in limbo two months after roof collapse

Almost two months after part of two houses collapsed in south-east London, residents say they remain in "a limbo of not knowing" over repairs, insurance claims and when they can return home.

The partial collapse happened on Woodland Terrace in Charlton at about 18:30 BST on 22 August, when part of a roof façade came down, affecting 14 privately owned properties, according to the council.

No injuries were reported, but several properties were evacuated and residents were told they could not return until the buildings had been declared safe.

Greenwich Council said work to remove dangerous masonry was under way, with inspections to follow before residents could return to their homes.

The terrace sits between the former Morris Walk and Maryon Grove estates, where developer Lovell is carrying out regeneration work as part of the council's Woolwich Estates regeneration project.

For many, the wait to get home is becoming increasingly difficult following the collapse.

Ben Carew, who has lived at Woodland Terrace since 2013, described the situation as "exhausting", saying residents faced not only the upheaval of being forced from their homes but also an "administrative, bureaucratic nightmare".

Carew is currently staying in an apartment paid for by his insurance after his claim was accepted.

He said not all residents had been as fortunate, with some still waiting for decisions on insurance claims.

"I just want life to go back to being a bit more normal.

"It's just a load of stress on life, on top of all the other stresses on life," he said.

Another resident, Jane Fisher, who has lived in the Victorian terrace for 16 years, said she was staying with a friend in west London after being forced from her home.

While grateful to have somewhere to stay, she said: "West London's not my home. South-east London is my home."

Fisher said several residents, including her, were still waiting for decisions from insurers, while others had already had claims.

Her property sits beneath the section of parapet that collapsed and said she "heard this almighty crash" the night it happened.

When she opened her front door, she said she was confronted by "a huge dust cloud" and broken masonry across the street.

Fisher was among those who spent the night at nearby St Thomas's Church after the collapse, as it opened its doors to displaced residents.

The church now hosts meetings between residents, the council and developer Lovell.

Fisher added that a crowdfunding campaign had now been set up for homeowners, as many face significant costs and uncertainty over repairs.

She praised the response from local people, describing it as "a glint of light in all this darkness".

Carew previously told the BBC he had raised concerns about heavy vibration and cracking before the collapse, contacting developer Lovell on 21 July to report cracks opening up and urging work to be paused while the issue was assessed.

Fisher said she had also noticed cracks in the parapet before the collapse.

"I cannot believe that the heavy construction work is not in some way involved in what happened," she said.

Concerns about vibrations were not confined to Woodland Terrace residents.

Church warden Jim Kinsella, from St Thomas's Church, said people at a nearby care home, the neighbouring vicarage and other local residents had also reported feeling buildings shake during piling work.

Another local resident on nearby Maryon Road showed the BBC cracks in a council-owned home that he said had been reported as being new.

Both Carew and Fisher said they would like more information about vibration monitoring and investigations into the collapse, with Carew adding he was not provided with vibration data he had requested.

"I think we would all feel more comfortable if we did have clear information about the due diligence and the measurement of vibrations and so on," she said.

A Lovell spokesperson said two independent structural engineering assessments had been carried out after the collapse, and said that initial findings had been shared with residents.

They said that the assessments identified "longstanding structural issues" with the parapet and a combination of factors that may have contributed to its failure, but did not identify the nearby Maryon works as a cause.

Monitoring reports from Lovell's seen by the BBC showed signs of movement in the affected properties.

Lovell said the monitoring raised concerns about the stability of the remaining parapet, prompting additional monitoring before construction work resumed in phases.

Carew said heavy groundworks and compaction resumed shortly after the data was gathered in late September.

Fisher said they had received contradictory information about planned works and timelines, and described periods where there was little communication despite repeated attempts to contact officials.

"When people are already extraordinarily stressed, when you're not getting any answer to communications, it does nearly tip you over the edge, to be frank," she said.

Fisher added: "Everyone's feeling that it's very difficult to see light at the end of the tunnel."

A council spokesperson said residents had received regular updates through meetings, correspondence and ward councillors, but acknowledged frustrations as timescales and plans changed.

A Greenwich Council spokesperson said: "We understand how stressful this situation has been for residents at Woodland Terrace whose privately owned homes have been affected by the partial collapse of the building frontages.

"Since then, our priority has been public safety and removing the danger as quickly as possible."

The council said emergency works to remove dangerous masonry were expected to be completed within days, after which inspections would determine when residents could return.

The council said construction work remained the responsibility of those carrying it out, while its role was to assess risks and take action where necessary.

It said the works were intended to remove danger rather than establish the cause of the collapse.

A Lovell spokesperson added: "We recognise how difficult this continues to be for residents and their safety and wellbeing remain our concern."

They added that they will "continue to support residents and keep them informed".

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