Southwark dispense £200 cheques to residents amidst more electricity outages and unexplained leaks

Southwark Council have now handed out £200 cheques to each household on the Ledbury Estate as promised, to cover the increase in their utility usage. Residents have seen a sharp rise in their electricity costs since the 11th August when gas was removed from the buildings, and they are now solely relying on electricity to cover their cooking needs and to fuel the new immersion water heaters. Southwark Council added that they will now be paying residents £20 per week for ongoing increased electricity costs.

On Friday 1st September, residents in two of the towers on the Ledbury Estate received a letter informing them that there would be a full days electricity outage on Monday 4th September in order to upgrade the electricity supply. Many residents felt frustrated at the lack of sufficient notice. One family, living on the higher floor of one tower were due to move house on Monday 4th and were unsure if they would now even be able to do so if the lifts do not work. Other residents with mobility issues have also voiced their concerns with the council over the lack of due notice.

On the same day, residents from three tower blocks began reporting sudden leaks via the estates closed Facebook group. In most cases it was the kitchens and bathrooms that were affected, in one case, water was leaking into a residents living room. This was reported to Southwark Council's area manager for the estate, who insisted that each individual resident affected go to the TRA hall where council staff are based, to report the leaks in person, so that they could draw together a record of these reports. To date, no explanation has been given as to the cause of the leaks.