Croydon Council promises Crystal Palace tower block repairs

He says the leak was left to spread for weeks, eventually interfering with the electrics, flooding a switch box and cutting off his power before it was finally fixed and remediation work began.

This summer, Ms Byfield set out her concerns in an email to Croydon North and Streatham MP Steve Reed, highlighting what she called “severe problems” with the ground source heating system at the neighbouring block, 55-133 College Green.

In her email she said many residents at 55-134 have endured “little or no hot water or heating” for nearly five winters, despite surveys, meetings and repeated promises since 2020.

Mr Galt, who is one of a number of residents calling for better conditions in the building, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Other residents commiserate with me but are despondent that complaining will achieve anything.”

Fellow resident William Cayley says promised repairs have been pushed back time and again. He remembers being assured that the automated gate to the bin store would be fixed in March, but the work was cancelled, leaving the entrance unsecured for months.

“The gate being open like this all the time is a security risk,” he told the LDRS, adding that he has seen strangers loitering near the building. “It’s a hell of a problem for all.”

Long-term resident Etheline Byfield feels dealing with repairs has become a constant cycle of raised hopes and disappointment. “It’s like they don’t care,” she said, describing how contractor Wates often visits several times before an issue is resolved.

This summer, Ms Byfield set out her concerns in an email to Croydon North and Streatham MP Steve Reed, highlighting what she called “severe problems” with the ground source heating system at the neighbouring block, 98–176 College Green.

The block underwent extensive works in 2021, including cladding replacement and fireproofing improvements, but despite this she says there are major heating and hot water issues. In her email she said many residents at 98–176 have endured “little or no hot water or heating” for nearly five winters, despite surveys, meetings and repeated promises since 2020.

She also described ongoing damp and mould in some flats, adding that refurbishments due in 2022 “have still not yet been delivered”, leaving residents facing “yet another winter under these unacceptable conditions”.

She also highlighted the state of the community room, which is still out of use after a leak allowed black mould to climb the wall and damage the recently fitted carpet. Ms Byfield said: “There is no clear responsibility or oversight for either block.”

She added: “It’s extremely concerning that in 2025, tenants in Croydon are still being left to live in such circumstances despite paying rent and service charges.”

Mr Galt compared the conditions at College Green to those seen in South Norwood’s Regina Road flats, which are currently up for redevelopment due to extensive mould and disrepair issues discovered in 2021. He told the LDRS: “These are the same issues that are occurring in College Green today.

“Will Croydon Council never learn? They have been given best advice four years ago but continue to make the same mistakes, over and over.”

Local Liberal Democrat councillor for Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Claire Bonham, says residents have been failed for too long. She said no one should have to live “without heating, hot water or with water, or worse, leaking through their property”.

Councillor Bonham said she has spent three years challenging Croydon’s housing teams and believes a “proper rethink” is needed to address the recurring issues at College Green. After a recent meeting with Susmita Sen, Croydon’s Corporate Director for Housing, she said the council has assured her that a “proper programme of works” will now be undertaken, and she vowed to keep holding them to account.

A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: “We are sorry for the disruption caused by ongoing repair issues at College Green. We have now completed work to fix a leak that was affecting homes. This was a complex repair that required opening up walls to find the source of the problem. Our teams are now finishing up internal repairs to the affected homes.

“One of the properties is also waiting for external insulation works, which will help improve heating efficiency in the longer term. In the meantime, we are offering electric panel heaters as a temporary solution and a member of the team will be in touch with the resident within the next 48 hours to arrange this. We have also treated a small patch of mould following a report in October and no further work was identified.

“We are aware that the gate to the bin store has been damaged and this has been referred to a specialist contractor for urgent repair. The block is checked daily by our caretaker, who tidies the bin area and reports any fly-tipping for removal.

“We know how frustrating this has been and we will continue to monitor the situation to make sure our residents are supported whilst the final issues are resolved.”