Agenda item

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services

 The Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services in respect of the Barbican concrete investigation and repairs.  The report sought to respond to the following resolution of the Wardmote from the Ward of Aldersgate, which took place on 19 March 2014:

 “Aldersgate Wardmote notes that testing has revealed areas of concrete on the Barbican Estate which are insufficiently compacted and with less than 4 cm of coverage of reinforcing.  These defects have led to the need for extensive inspection and repair.  The Wardmote believes that these original construction defects should be the responsibility of the City.  The Wardmote understands that this is the subject of discussions between the City and the Barbican Association.  The Wardmote urges that the City actively engage in these discussions and report its resolution promptly.”

The Chairman reminded Members that the report sought to answer the query raised by the  above Wardmote and, therefore, would not pre-determine any further outcome. 

During the discussion and debate each Member was invited to address the Committee and   the following matters were raised/noted:

·     The views of many Members had not changed since the report had last been presented to the Committee on 17 March 2014.  It was generally agreed that sufficient technical information had now been provided and, therefore, any further outcome would need to be the subject of a legal debate.

·      The documents from 1986 and 1990 had been disclosed as there had been some repairs at that time.  However, Members were mindful that concrete repair technology had moved on in the past 20-25 years and, therefore, these documents were not directly relevant to the current issue.

·      The health and safety issues, i.e. the risk of damage and/or injury from falling concrete had been rectified.

·      The Comptroller and City Solicitor advised that full disclosure of all papers, to the BA Solicitors, had taken place in the last  2-3 weeks.  All the information had been supplied on disc and was available for inspection at the Comptroller and City Solicitor’s offices.  Whilst acknowledging that there was a high volume of information to digest, the Comptroller and City Solicitor had offered to meet with the BA Solicitors but, as yet, this offer had not been reciprocated.  Members acknowledged that this had resulted in the current impasse and the following resolution was taken, unanimously.

RESOLVED, that:

1.   The Resolution from the Wardmote for the Ward of Aldersgate be noted.

2.   The action from the Wardmote, as set out at 2.5 in the report; i.e. that the ‘City actively engages in discussions with the Barbican Association and report its Resolution promptly’ be noted.  (The Comptroller and City Solicitor had provided full access to original design and construction information, as requested by the Barbican Association’s representatives, and would continue to provide access to information as necessary).

3.   The Comptroller and City Solicitor’s offer to meet with the Barbican Association’s Solicitors be noted and that, as yet, this had not been reciprocated.

4.   The Barbican Residential Committee reiterate its earlier decision (17 March 2014); that the concrete testing and repairs works are of a general repair and maintenance nature and that the lease stipulates that such work is recoverable through the service charge.