And what the balconies were like before the fire:
LKP has been informed that the headlease owner of De Pass Gardens on Barking Riverside, which witnessed a serious fire today, is Adriatic Land 4.
These companies are part of the £1.6 billion ground rent fund Long Harbour.
The ultimate beneficial ownership of these freeholds / headleases are hidden behind nominee directors of the Sanne Group of company secretaries.
Mercifully, it seems no one was hurt today.
It is not known whether the Barking site was covered in Grenfell Cladding at this stage.
But the owners of freeholds have been asked – in vain – to step in to replace dangerous cladding.
The issue highlights the point that many freeholders, including owners of sites such as this one where very serious events occurs, are simply unknown.
Contrarily, freeholders like Long Harbour have been lobbying against government’s proposed reforms of the leasehold system.
They claim commercial landlords – a loose term also applied to private equity speculators – are the only entities that can be relied upon to be the “responsible long term custodians” of a building.
How can they be responsible if they operate in secret?
Sebastian O’Kelly, director of LKP, said: “Both Sajid Javid and his successor as Communities Secretary James Brokenshire repeatedly urged speculators in residential freeholds to do the decent thing and pay to remove Grenfell cladding from private blocks of flats.
“They did not do so: we always felt it was optimistic to think they would.
“But the issue here is whether it is right and proper today for residential freeholders to own these assets anonymously, hiding their beneficial ownership behind nominee directors.
“They have to take serious decisions affecting the lives of thousands of ordinary people. They have considerable powers as well – forfeiture for example.
“They must take responsibility for their use and be identifiable, not hide in secret in clever and often offshore corporate structures.”
Venilia Batista Amorin, treasurer of the residents’ association, told LKP:
“Fortunately, no one was hurt although there have been cases of smoke inhalation.
“I believe it is wrong for residential freeholders to hide their identities in this way and an event like this demonstrates this.”
Related posts:
Barking Riverside fire survivors round on secretive freeholder Adriatic Land, reports BBC R4
Bellway to pay to remove wood from Barking Riverside fire site
Bellway offers young mother freehold for £3,750. But Adriatic Land demands £12,750 … then agrees to half the sum
Long Harbour’s Adriatic Land backs leaseholders at Skyline Central 1 to get public money for HPL removal
Adriatic Land and other freeholders ‘acting like robbers’, Commons told
Battle for Canary Riverside resumes after court appointed manager steps down
Post Accounts Notes Adriatic Land 4
Following the tragedy at the Grenfell Tower on 14th June 2017 the company has followed the Government issued guidance as an owner of private residential property
The company has worked with the property manager,which has engaged with directly appointed managing agents as well a third party resident management companies (RMC’S) where these have management responsibility for any affected property.
Included in the property portfolio held by the company is property with either category 2 and/or 3 ACM cladding as defined by the UK Government ‘s review panel.
Interim mitigation measures where required on the advice of independent fire safety consultants or at the direction of a local fire authority have been put in place to make the buildings safe..