New Providence Wharf

The New Providence Wharf is a residential development in the Blackwall district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, at the north end of the Blackwall Tunnel. It was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill[1] and is managed by Ballymore, a property development company.

New Providence Wharf
New Providence Wharf, viewed from North Greenwich (2021)
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeResidential
Location1 Fairmont Avenue
Tower Hamlets, London
Coordinates51°30′22″N 0°0′17″W
Design and construction
Architect(s)Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
DeveloperBallymore Group

It consists of a crescent-shaped block along Fairmont Avenue and Yabsley Street (New Providence Block A-E, with 559 apartments), two taller buildings - the Ontario Tower (256 apartments) and Charrington Tower (originally Providence Tower, 360 apartments) - the Michigan Building (72 apartments) and Columbia West (19 apartments).[2]

Early phases of the development were completed in 2005, and were built of materials that complied with the guidance that applied at that time.[3] However, following the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, it emerged that the 19-floor New Providence Block A-E used the same aluminium composite material (ACM) for cladding. More than 500 households would, on average, have to pay over £4,000 each after freeholder Landor Residential, part of the Ballymore group, refused to cover the cost of recladding the block.[4] In February 2019, Ballymore offered residents a 20% contribution towards recladding costs, but gave them a two-week ultimatum to foot the rest of the £2.4m bill,[5] despite stated MHCLG policy that leaseholders should not to be made to pay to remediate dangerous cladding systems.[3] Ballymore also offered loans, but threatened to cancel its 20% contribution and add a 5% interest to the loan if any resident threatened the company with legal action.[5]

May 2021 fire

On 7 May 2021, the ACM-clad building, New Providence Block A-E, at New Providence Wharf suffered a major fire.[6][7] The blaze affected parts of the 8th, 9th and 10th floors of Block D, and resulted in two people being taken to hospital, plus the evacuation of 42 people.[8] Ballymore said the ACM played no part in the blaze.[9]

A London Fire Brigade report about the fire revealed serious safety failings. It said the fire started in a fuse board in an 8th floor flat, and then spread outside via timber decking. A faulty ventilation system meant the building acted like a "broken chimney" while escape routes filled with smoke. LFB deputy commissioner Richard Mills said "The New Providence Wharf fire needs to be an urgent wake-up call to all building owners and managers. ... It is too late to wait for a fire to see if [fire safety solutions] work."[10]

References
  1. "New Providence Wharf Project Page". SOM.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2010.
  2. "The NPW Buildings". New Providence Wharf Leaseholders & Residents Association (NPWLRA). Retrieved: 24 June 2021.
  3. Apps, Peter (20 February 2021). "Responsibility for recladding private block lies with government, minister told". Inside Housing. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  4. Randhawa, Kiran; Frodsham, Isobel (11 October 2018). "£4,000-a-resident bill to replace Grenfell-style cladding on London high-rise". Evening Standard. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  5. Simpson, Jack (13 February 2019). "Residents given ultimatum by developer over £2.4m cladding bill". Inside Housing. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  6. Booth, Robert (7 May 2021). "Fire breaks out at London tower block with Grenfell-style panels". Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  7. Lowe, Tom (7 May 2021). "Blaze hits ACM-clad Ballymore apartment block". Building. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  8. "Poplar fire: London tower block blaze leaves two men in hospital". BBC News. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  9. Gardiner, Joey (10 May 2021). "ACM 'not involved' in Ballymore block blaze". Building. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  10. "Building was like 'broken chimney': New Providence Wharf report uncovers safety failings after fire at London block". ITV News. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
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