Luton couple’s dream first home turns into a nightmare including combustible cladding and mouldy ceiling

A Luton couple say their dream first home has become a nightmare – leaving then with a huge bill and a leaking mouldy ceiling.

Ann Marie McNally and Aashiq Mortimer bought their flat in Hatton Place in 2018, but only three months later they say cracks started appearing.

Problems with the roof of the 120 flat block and issues with cladding following the Grenfell Tower disaster have meant the couple have had to take out a £15,000 loan to cover their share of the costs.

Ann Marie said: "Contractors have been several times but have not come up with a solution. With the recent bad weather it has got a lot worse and we have a leaky mouldy ceiling.

"We are victims of shoddy developers. Some of our neighbours don’t know how they will cope financially. There is no clarity on when issues are going to be fixed so we can’t sell.

"We are first time buyers and thought it was going to be perfect. We are so angry and frustrated.”

The couple has been forced to tape a binbag to their bedroom ceiling – and says water dripping through has left them without electricity for weeks.

The company who built the flats on Midland Road, Redeham Homes, went into liquidation in 2015. Clear Building Management took over the management in 2017

A spokesman for the company said contractors started work last week on Block B, Hatton Place.

They said: “As a priority, they are repairing the worst affected areas first; CBM understands these to be balconies above apartments that are causing leaks into the properties below. These works to Block B and the leaking balconies are expected to be completed by the end of Q1 2023.

"Hatton Place has multiple fire safety issues, including combustible cladding. CBM has worked with Building Safety to agree a timetable of remedial/repair works to address these, based on which, CBM expects these works to commence in Q2 of 2023.

“CBM appreciates the delay in these works commencing is frustrating for all leaseholders. However, the new funding rules introduced in the Building Safety Act are now in force, and this is important for the leaseholders because the Act protects them from making a huge financial contribution to fund and cover the cost of the repairs.

"A recent survey and report commissioned by CBM at Hatton Place set out to identify all essential repairs to all elements of the building. This revealed and identified numerous issues with the roof structure, and the leaseholders were advised of these. In 2020, it was agreed as essential to collect funds from the leaseholders to finance the substantial repairs / reinstatement of the roof area in order to make the building water tight.

"Before the works could start, unfortunately combustible cladding was discovered, which resulted in the requirement to install a waking watch. As a consequence, the schedule of works for the repairs was derailed.

"A fire alarm system was installed in 2022. This was funded by the Waking Watch Relief Fund to remove the need for a human waking watch.”