Housing giant Peabody has apologised to the long-suffering residents of Kingsgate House and vowed to resolve a litany of complaints — thanks to The Chelsea Citizen.
Since The Citizen aired the serious unease felt amongst residents in a story last month, the housing association charity has pledged to fast-track a solution — but has admitted that the problems are so extensive that it will take at least a year to solve.
Families have already endured four long years of relentless noisy works and have been trapped behind scaffolding and netting that has cast their homes into daytime darkness.
Peabody has finally conceded the works have taken “much longer than expected” and have promised a full-scale push, with contractors to be deployed inside and outside the building, as well as across multiple floors, at the same time to finish the job more quickly. But even that means the works will not be finished until “sometime in 2027”.
In a statement to The Citizen, Peabody said: “We’re very sorry that this has taken much longer than expected and for the impact this has had on residents. We know how difficult it is to live with this level of disruption, and we don’t underestimate how challenging it has been.
“This work is essential to make sure residents’ homes are safe and meet the latest standards. When we removed the cladding, we uncovered additional issues within the building. This has happened across the sector, as some problems only become visible once work begins. Where this happens, we make sure everything is fully put right so homes are safe.
“We’re continuing to stay in close contact with residents and will share clearer timescales as soon as we can. We’re focused on finishing this as quickly as possible, while making sure it is done properly and to the highest safety standards, and continuing to support residents throughout.”
The state of Kingsgate House on the King’s Road as photographed last Friday ©TCC
Sadly for residents, this statement echoes a familiar refrain. “Too little, too late,” is the verdict from inside the block.
Originally launched in 2020 to strip out dangerous cladding in the wake of Grenfell Tower fire, the repair project has spiralled into a catalogue of defects.
Kingsgate House is a mix of shared ownership and social rent flats that was built in 2014 as part of a Section 106 “trade off” for the construction of a luxury block of flats overlooking Kensington Park Gardens. It was supposed to be a modern success story, but once the cladding came off, a Pandora’s box of problems emerged.
Peabody admits the works uncovered serious hidden defects, including rainwater damage to the timber frame — forcing a complete rebuild of the top two floors and even the re-housing of residents to other rental accommodation. Other issues at Kingsgate House include: faulty, untreated wooden balconies, leaks through windows and bathrooms, persistent heating and hot water failures, and – arguably, worst of all – a lift outage of seven months, leaving wheelchair users trapped in their homes.
Residents point the finger squarely at poor original construction — and question how the building ever passed inspection. “I used to be proud to live here,” said one. “Now it’s in a sorry state — and it’s not clear if it will ever be put right.”
There’s one bright note amid the gloom: Peabody says insurance premiums won’t rise further because of the works — and has pledged refunds for excess communal electricity charges. Peabody also insists fire safety checks have been completed and that homes are safe. That will come as cold comfort to residents battered by disruption — and soaring bills.
To add to their misery service charges have nearly doubled in four years, rocketing from £222 to £418 per month, driven largely by unexplained hikes in insurance and electricity costs. Then there’s the mystery of the building’s distinctive solar power panels that were once lauded as a great innovation and an environmentally friendly design. Residents claim that they have never seen a penny’s worth of energy from these “photovoltaic panels”.
Peabody has admitted to The Citizen that the panels do not currently work and promises they will be fixed when the project ends. Notably, Peabody would not confirm the net energy value deemed from the panels since they were installed – or indeed if they have ever worked.
In the meantime, life goes on in limbo. “It’s like living on a building site,” said one resident. “The noise, the mess, the disturbance, the lack of security… the uncertainty.” Another added: “We can’t open windows properly or use our balconies. We live in darkness.”
Patience is running out. “They pretend to care,” said one furious tenant. “We are exhausted. It’s a never-ending nightmare.”
Angry families are now forming a residents’ association to demand answers— including clear schedules, proper communication, quarterly meetings and fully itemised service charges.
The Chelsea Citizen today pledges to stay on this story — until the last scaffolding pole comes down and the energy flows from those fancy solar panels.
