This is the real story of what can happen when a predatory property developer looks to acquire freeholds of buildings that have the potential for “airspace development”.
Airspace development, according to the property developer “Click” has the potential to help alleviate – in their words – the housing shortage problems in London. By developing the airspace on top of existing buildings the housing density can be increased. But at what cost?
On 25 July 2021, on an amber weather warning weekend forecasted to have torrential rain, Click went ahead with the crane lift to install the new modules on top of the building. Works were halted after 3 out of 9 modules were installed, due to lightening, and left exposed to the torrential rain without adequate water proofing to protect the existing flats immediately below. It remained exposed through a series of high rainfall events until the rest of the modules were installed 2 weeks later.
The residents were forced to evacuate the building when water started pouring water pouring through the light fittings, walls, with ceilings eventually collapsing and most of the top floor belongings saturated and destroyed. These residents are still homeless, and having to cover the cost of their own alternative accommodation, storage for any remaining items, mortgages, and legal fees despite promises of payment from Click’s insurance.
Just the facts
Click Group Holdings Ltd have identified 40,000 sites for potential rooftop developments, where they buy the freehold to install a new storey on top of your residential block, causing significant disruption, noise, and security issues to your building during the construction, the new development devalues the former top floor apartments, the light weight modular system has significantly shorter life span than the former pitched roof causes higher ongoing maintenance costs.
On 2 November 2018 Click St Andrews Ltd, a member of the Click Group Holdings Company, bought the Freehold of St Andrews House in Bermondsey, in order to remove the existing pitched roof on a block of 14 flats to install a new storey comprising of 3 additional 2 bedroom flats. They bought the freehold for £105,000 and sold the flats for £1,900,000.
On 25 July 2021, on an amber weather warning weekend forecasted to have torrential rain, Click went ahead with the crane lift to install the new modules on top of the building. Works were halted after 3 out of 9 modules were installed, due to lightening, and left exposed to the torrential rain without adequate water proofing to protect the existing flats immediately below. It remained exposed through a series of high rainfall events until the rest of the modules were installed 2 weeks later.
The residents were forced to evacuate the building when water started pouring water pouring through the light fittings, walls, with ceilings eventually collapsing and most of the top floor belongings saturated and destroyed. These residents are still homeless, and having to cover the cost of their own alternative accommodation, storage for any remaining items, mortgages, and legal fees despite promises payment from Click’s insurance.
Water damage is said to be worse than fire damage as it is not visible and penetrates all voids, and continues to penetrate the building until the building is professionally dried out. Not only this, we have undertaken a number of surveys:
- Building survey – details of the quality of workmanship / condition of the building
- Water / flood damage – details of building damage, moisture and mould
- Structural survey – details of structural issues with the new addition
- Fire safety – details of fire compartmentation
Further more, despite our best efforts and informing the estate agents of the water ingress event, Click sold the three top floor flats without disclosing the legal dispute.
The leaseholders, seeking to protect their homes and livelihoods, have been forced into a legal dispute in the High Court incurring hundreds of thousands of pounds due to Click’s workmanship, and continual refusal to accept responsibility for the flooding of people’s homes as well as the defective construction of the roof top flats and structure.
So who is Click? Who are the people responsible?
Click St Andrews Ltd
Click Above Ltd
Click Group Holdings Ltd
Aaron Emmett
Alexander (Alex) Renny
Laith Mubarak