Graham has completed the £22 million rearmament and safety work for a tower on the Chalcots Estate in North London. As reported in Building News earlier this year, the property’s Blashford Tower contract was purchased separately from the other four buildings following a change of plans by Camden Council. Chalcots was evacuated, for a time, in 2017 after the Grenfell Tower fire over concerns that the ACM cladding was unsafe. The material was removed later that summer. In January 2019 Camden appointed Wates to carry out fire safety renovations and renovations on a ‘LOI’ basis, and the company was expected to take over the main business on all five towers, which is estimated to be around £90m. But the council reopened tenders last year after failing to agree on the terms of the contract with the contractor. It relaunched the search for the other four towers in May for work that included replacing windows, removing flat roofs, replacing brickwork on the ground and first floors, and installing radiators. The board has not yet announced the successful contractor. The council said that Blashford had a different structure than the other towers, and awarded Graham a two-phase design and construction contract for the building. The first phase will include design and testing work, while during the second phase, scheduled to take place between July 2022 and December 2023, Graham will release the materials and carry out the work. Work will include installation of an A1 cladding system, new windows and a curtain wall. Cabinet member for Home Improvement in Camden Council Merrick Aback said: “This is an important step forward in introducing a new standard of resident safety for Chalcots, and I am pleased that we have reached such an important milestone for Blushford with Graham’s appointment.” I share the disappointment felt by residents. about delays, so I know they’ll also be happy with this appointment and seeing the work in progress.” In 2019, the board announced that it was pursuing a partner improvement contractor in Camden – currently in liquidation – as well as subcontractors Rydon Construction, Rydon Maintenance and Faithful + Gould and United Living South, to cover the costs of repair and fire security on the property, on the renovation and maintenance of the property. A recent statement on the council’s website stated that an attempt to settle the proceedings through mediation was unsuccessful in June. It added: “The council remains open to The case may be resolved through mediation if at all possible and in the interests of the Board, however we intend to recover as much of the costs as possible, whether through mediation or, if necessary, at trial.”
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