Alton West Estate Finally Getting New Windows

Residents had been suffering from cold and damp for years

Charcot House, Alton West Estate.
Charcot House, Alton West Estate. Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon

Participate

 

Furious Roehampton Residents Protest Loss of Green Space

Roehampton Residents Plan Protest Against Loss of Green Space

Ashburton Estate Residents Raise Fears of Over Development

Putney Retirement Home Residents Fear Homelessness

Putney Retirement Home Described as 'Death House'

'Nightmare' of Disabled Putney Man's Mould-ridden Council Flat

New Council Homes in McKinney House Described as Stunning

Sign up for the Putney newsletter

Comment on this story on the

September 21, 2023

Residents on a Roehampton estate who say they are plagued by unbearable cold and damp could finally see their windows and doors replaced. Residents of the 1950s blocks on the Alton West Estate said they faced extortionate energy bills trying to stay warm and had become ill due to their living conditions as they called for the works to be completed.

The works needed planning permission along with listed building consent as the blocks are Grade II* listed buildings. The plans from Wandsworth Council, which owns the estate, include installing replacement windows and stairwell fire doors at the 375 maisonettes across Binley House, Charcot House, Denmead House, Dunbridge House and Winchfield House along Highcliffe Drive.

Residents threw their support behind the plans in letters to the council ahead of a planning committee meeting on 19 September. Kiri Palmer, from Winchfield House, wrote: “We desperately need replacement windows. The draft that we experience literally makes us ill. We waste thousands on gas trying to heat the flats, when the heat just escapes through the huge windows in each room.”

Sarah Terry-Shearman, from Charcot House, said, “The windows in the flats are very draughty, also the fire doors. The surrounding wood has rotten causing a lot of damp in the windows. The sealant is so old it has fallen off.

“The flats are extremely cold in winter causing families to have heating on constant all the time which is making heating bills very expensive. The draughts and coldness is getting unbearable. I have spent hundreds trying to minimise they cold air coming in but it doesn’t help.”

The council’s planning committee approved the plans and the application will now be referred to the Secretary of State for a final decision, as required by the Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Act 1990.

At the meeting, Siri Thafvelin, senior planning officer, said a survey of the buildings had shown that “after 70 years, they’re not functioning as well as they should”. She said, “Ultimately, it’s considered that the benefit of securing the long-term future of the buildings outweighs the harm.”

Councillors supported the plans at the meeting. Labour councillor Matthew Tiller read out comments from Jo Playford, chair of Winchfield House Residents’ Association, which said, “Residents [are] currently living with windows that are in total disrepair. Some residents have had their windows sealed shut in order to make them safe whilst waiting for the window replacement. This causes damp and condensation issues because of the lack of ventilation.

“The current windows are not fit-for-purpose. They let so much of a draft through that it’s impossible to heat the flats without being faced with extortionate energy bills.”

Councillor Tiller added, “I hope that having heard what residents have to say, we’ll have an outcome tonight that restores their faith in us.”

Labour councillor and London Assembly member Leonie Cooper also said she was conscious of the “issues that relate to the damp and the mould and the living conditions” faced by residents.

She said, “For me, I’m thinking particularly obviously of the recent judgement in relation to Awaab Ishak from Rochdale, and whilst I think it’s really important that whatever goes in there is very sympathetic to the listed buildings, I think even if changing the windows results in some minor harm to the existing buildings, I actually think that the more major harm if we don’t replace them will be to the people that live there and I think that will be unconscionable.”

 

Charlotte Lilywhite - Local Democracy Reporter

Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More

This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism.

Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets.

We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more.

However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do.

We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area.

A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site.

One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute.

If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor.

For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site.

 

Bookmark and Share