27 March 2026 Major works to improve flats above The Broadway shops nears completion with strong Cllr oversight
The
significant programme of refurbishment to the flats above the shops on
The Broadway has now entered its final phase, marking an important
milestone for residents and local businesses. These works, designed to
fully repair long standing leaks and structural issues that have
affected several flats and shop units below, are now nearing completion
with only a small number of finishing elements remaining.
Ward
councillors, LRA Cllrs Chidi Nweke and Sheree Rackham, together with
Independent Cllr Stephen Murray, have played an active and ongoing role
throughout the project. From the outset, they worked to ensure clear
and consistent communication between District Council officers,
contractors, and residents, helping to guarantee that concerns were
responded to promptly and constructively.
Your ward Cllrs also
provided strong scrutiny of the project’s progress and finances,
ensuring that the works remained on track and did not exceed budget,
which was a key priority given the impact the leaks had on both the
homes above and the shops below. Their oversight is one of the reasons
the project team formally expressed their thanks for the support,
challenge, and direction provided by the local ward Cllrs.
With
the majority of repairs now completed and final checks underway, the
refurbished flats and resolved leak issues are expected to deliver long
term improvements to living conditions for residents and the businesses
operating on The Broadway.
LRA Cllr Chidi Nweke, said “It
is great to see these essential works to the flats above The Broadway
shops are now nearing completion. Sheree, Stephen, and I have been
working closely with officers and contractors from the start to ensure
that residents and businesses were kept informed and that long standing
issues, especially the leaks affecting local shops, were tackled
properly. We’ve pushed for clear communication, timely action, and
strong financial oversight throughout. I’m grateful to the project team
for their collaboration and I’m pleased that these improvements will
make a real difference for both residents living above the shops and
the businesses operating below.”
18 October 2024 Further
details have been provided by the District Council. A November start is
being planned. Scaffolding is to be erected in January 2025 to avoid
any potential disruption to the commercial tenants during the Christmas
trading period. More
Ground
floor commercial tenants and residents of the first and second floor
flats above should be receiving letters outlining a series of phased
works over the next 12 months.
9 September 2024 We have previously reported in our news emails that the District Council was planning a refurbishment of The Broadway.
The tender process is now complete with the contract being awarded to Mulalley and Co.
The
work is costed at £4.8 million and includes the blocks on both sides of
the street. This will deliver external refurbishment and maintenance
works to address issues of weathertightness and security, with full
replacement of the roof in conjunction with other cyclical external
building fabric repairs including window replacements, balcony and
walkway repairs, and compliance work. An upgrade to the energy
efficiency performance of The Broadway is included by increasing the
insulation of the roof and fitting thermally efficient windows. A
medium-term improvement plan will also be provided detailing future
energy efficiency upgrades to make the building ready for net zero by
2050.
Work is expected to start in October or November, with the contract period being 12 months.
The
Council has stated that residential and commercial leaseholders will be
recharged a proportion of the cost in accordance with their respective
leases. They recognise the bills will be significant and have said they
will work with each leaseholder to agree payment terms that will lessen
the immediate impact and enable leaseholders to pay sums owed over a
period. Further details have not yet been announced, and the Council
has said work will now start in earnest with making contact with
individuals on the recharging details.
A dedicated website page will be set up for parties to be able to access information.
LRA Comment: At
the District Council Cabinet meeting on 2 September when the work was
discussed, LRA Cllrs along with Independent Cllr Stephen Murray raised
concerns especially around the costs to be recharged to leaseholders
and when such payment will be due to ensure they are fair and
appropriate. LRA Cllrs also highlighted that a sinking fund (regular
money set aside to pay for a future expenses) should have been in place
in previous years to avoid significant costs being charged to
leaseholders. The District Council acknowledged that this situation
must not happen again and after the current work is completed such a
fund
should be in place. You can watch the relevant 30 minute section of the meeting here (starts at 1hr21min).
LRA
will try to ensure the viability of The Broadway remains unimpaired
both during construction, and after the works are completed. However
the present administration at the District Council may not be so
concerned.
27 March 2026