Major award pulled after balcony flaws exposed

A major housing award for a new-build affordable housing scheme where a BBC investigation exposed "alarming" flaws is to be withdrawn.

Developer L&Q and Barking and Dagenham Council won a WhatHouse? Award in 2019 for the Weavers Quarter in Barking, east London.

But after a balcony partially collapsed and the BBC found flaws in other balconies on the housing estate, the awarding body said it would rescind the prize.

L&Q said it respected the decision, while politicians and residents called for the scheme's two other accolades to also be taken back.

The £41m Weavers Quarter was fully built 2019 but concerns have been raised about its balconies since 2021.

A balcony partially collapsed in November and after that incident, hundreds of residents were told not to walk on balconies in case they would also crumble.

Scaffolding was erected around 77 balconies.

Scientific tests carried out on the partially collapsed balcony for a BBC investigation found the materials used were made from plywood more suitable for indoor use, and were constructed using "weak" glue - which may have been used in other balconies on the estate.

The Health and Safety Executive said it was looking into the balcony collapse.

When WhatHouse? recognised L&Q and the Labour-run council with a silver award for best partnership scheme in 2019, judges said Weavers Quarter "set an exemplary standard".

However, a spokesperson for the awards said the BBC report was "extremely alarming".

"In the light of it we will be contacting the original entrants of the scheme submitted in 2019 with a view to withdrawing the award made five years ago," the spokesperson said.

The scheme was also highly commended as best development in the affordable homes sector at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards in 2018.

Plus it won the title for the best urban regeneration project at the First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards in the same year.

Weavers Quarter Residents' Association leader Matt Lismore said the awards felt like “salt in the wounds".

"The idea that so many problems can exist yet they can get given praise and awards at fancy hotels, at fancy award ceremonies, is a total insult to the hard working people who have been put through hell with the issues we’ve suffered on this estate," he said.

"We feel belittled. We’ve been going through living hell and they have been getting awards. It’s awful.”

Andrew Boff, the Conservative chair of the London Assembly, said the scheme's other two awards should be rescinded in light of the BBC investigation.

He said: "I think it’s right that the organisations who have given awards to properties that are dangerous, to protect their reputation, they should rescind the awards they’ve given to the development otherwise what value is there in getting one of those awards?"

The BBC approached the Evening Standard New Homes Awards but received no response.

The First Time Buyer Magazine Awards declined to comment.

L&Q said it took resident safety "extremely seriously" and was working with other organisations to ensure residents felt safe.

"The withdrawal of awards is a matter for the awarding bodies, and we understand and respect the decisions they have made," the firm added.

The BBC has approached Barking and Dagenham Council for comment.

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