Earl Kendrick Building Surveyors were instructed to procure the required remediation works to the combustible cladding of this purpose built residential block in the centre of Nottingham. The client is a freeholder that operates nationwide.
During discussion with the managing agent about the general health of the building, they advised of water ingress issues emanating from the lower flat roof (the upper one having recently been replaced) although funds were not in place to do anything about it. The agent sought our practical and technical assistance to plan a way forward – and of course we were happy to oblige.
Following a complimentary inspection of the roof, the agent advised that the Client wanted it to be fully replaced. We made an offer to the agent: to act as contract administrator for the roof replacement works, including specification, tendering and on-site management – all free of charge, as long as the roof replacement proceeded at the same time as the cladding remediation. The client (and all leaseholders) would also be in a position to take full advantage of the scaffolding already in situ.
The agent was delighted and briefed their client.
Now the focus was firmly back on the application to the Building Safety Fund to secure funding to cover the full cost of the cladding remediation works. We procured additional surveys to provide Homes England and MHCLG (now DLUHC) with all the information they required to make a decision, which is awaited.
The project was sent out by competitive closed bid tender to a select number of specialist cladding contractors, all of which were fully vetted by us.
If all goes according to plan, the BSF funding will be secured for the cladding remediation, including our professional fees, those of other professionals, and the scaffold access too. And the agent – and their client – will be impressing on the leaseholders the importance of taking full advantage of Earl Kendrick’s offer so that the roof works are undertaken at vastly reduced cost, simultaneously with the cladding works. Raising funds from the leaseholders for such major works is rarely straightforward.
Assuming funds are raised for the roof works, our job (as contract administrator and principal designer) is to manage successfully these two sets of works on site.
Earl Kendrick thrives on challenges like this. We appreciate the stresses leaseholders are under living in potentially dangerous buildings and fearing the worst when it comes to the cost. We are here to support you as the managing agent so you can deliver more good news to the clients, and far less grief.
This case study will be updated as matters progress.
Andrew Banister MRICS AIFireE
Director – EK North & Midlands
andrew.banister@earlkendrick.com
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