69 Portsmouth leaseholders ‘ill with stress’ over £6.9m bill for cladding work at block

Leaseholders of the Vista apartments in Fratton Way, in Southsea, say their mental and physical health has been damaged due to stress over a slew of problems with the 2009 building.

Cladding on the building was deemed unsafe to passing pedestrians in 2016.

Scaffolding went up in September 2016. But work did not start until January 2018 and finished in February 2019.

Between them residents faced a £3.2m bill as the builder and current owner have refused to pay for the work.

But the 69 leaseholders are now facing an increased bill of up to £100,000 for each flat to cover the cladding work.

And when the scaffolding came down problems were identified with the balconies – pushing their possible bill even higher.

The original builder, Linden Homes, is locked in a legal battle with the current owner, Aviva Investors Realm Ground Rent Fund, over who should cover remedial work costs.

The fund bought the freehold in 2013 and says the ‘leaseholders are liable to pay’ through their service charges.

Retired couple Ann and Steve Hillier, bought an eighth floor two-bedroom flat in 2015.

Ann, 70, said: ‘We have worked hard our whole lives and every penny we had was invested into the flat. It's just a worry all the time. It's made me ill with stress.

‘There was so much that was wrong with the building, it should never have been passed.’

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Her husband Steve, 72, said: ‘We worked hard for this and now it’s all being taken away by faceless people. The bottom line is they don’t care.

‘All this started when I was 68 and in good health. I’m 72 now and had a major cancer operation, a major spine problem.

‘None of this has been caused by Aviva and Linden but my recovery is in no doubt slowed down by the stress.’

In that time problems were also found with the building’s boiler and firestops, which were since fixed.

But in 2018 it was discovered the balconies were not safe and these have been out of use since.

The Aviva fund has said it is in the process of tendering for and starting the remedial works.

Steve added: ‘When we came to view the building it was the view that sold it to us. And now we've not been able to use it for two years.’

Chairman of the Vista leaseholders association, Rob Shaffrey, bought his flat in 2009.

The 62-year-old said: ‘The cost we have been told for the cladding varies between £70,000 and £100,000 each.

‘I bought it originally with the intention of possibly moving on, but that's not possible now because we can't sell them. Estate agents won’t actually value them.

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‘It has affected everybody, a number of leaseholders are suffering mental health issues as a result.

‘It's quite depressing sometimes living here. It's like we are being held to ransom by Aviva.

‘If the leaseholders are told to pay out for this, the council is going to have to deal with a lot more homeless people in the city because people will be made bankrupt.’

Residents are also currently facing anti-social behaviour problems from homeless people in the nearby Ibis Hotel, who were placed there in lockdown.

A spokesman for the Aviva fund said: 'The fund has issued court proceedings against Linden Homes and its parent company, Galliford Try, for the costs that it has incurred (and will incur in respect of the balconies) in undertaking the required remedial works.

‘Although the leaseholders are liable to pay for the works via their service.’

A spokesman from Linden Homes South added: ‘Following Aviva becoming the owners of the development in 2013, all remedial works and subsequent payments are the responsibility of Aviva.

‘We are aware that Aviva has started legal proceedings and our legal team are working towards getting this resolved.’

Portsmouth City Council was approached for comment.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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