Families fear winter after estate cladding removal

Estate residents in Surrey have spoken of their concern for the coming winter after the council removed cladding from their walls.

The residents, of Lakeview estate in Woking, fear their homes will not be as well-insulated, which could lead to higher fuel bills.

Speaking to BBC South East, they said they also wanted more communication from the council on its plan for replacing the cladding, which was removed due to fire safety concerns.

A Woking Borough Council spokesperson said the safety of all tenants and their families was its priority and a meeting would be held with them in September.

Zalal Abdul, a leaseholder on the estate, lives with his children, aged five and 15.

He said he thought that, when the cladding was removed in May, the council would have replaced it straight away.

"It’s quite horrible with winter time coming," he said.

The council’s website said it was aiming to confirm a replacement cladding system by the end of the year and to start works to reinstate it in Spring 2025.

Bur Mike Paternoster, who has been a resident for 27 years, would like it replaced sooner.

Mr Paternoster lives with his wife who has cancer and the couple stand to lose their winter fuel allowance this year.

He said he was concerned the wall still had "numerous holes and is unprotected from the elements".

He understood the reasons why the cladding had to be removed, but said: "We’d like to see it properly replaced before winter."

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said she thought there had been a fire at the estate when she came back and saw the cladding had gone.

She said: "We’re in a cost-of-living crisis, I’m worried about keeping my home warm, I’m worried about damp."

The Woking councillor responsible for housing, Ian Johnson, said a formal complaint about the cladding removal made by residents was being investigated.

He pointed to a fire in a block of flats in Dagenham in August as a reminder "of the potential dangers of certain types of cladding on residential buildings".

Mr Johnson confirmed it had been "necessary" to remove sections of cladding from 14 blocks on the estate over concerns that "the cladding on the front of the blocks could compromise people’s means of escape" if it caught fire.

He said: "Whilst we appreciate the housing blocks look unsightly, the safety of all tenants and their families is our priority.

"We have also committed to ensuring that the buildings remain watertight until new cladding is installed."

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