Incident at Herring Court, Barking

25 April 2025 - update

Temporary accommodation and essentials 

We have managed to find temporary homes for many residents in nearby properties, and we are in direct contact with anyone who we continue to support in finding suitable alternative accommodation. We understand that some of the alternative homes provided from the housing we have available, are, in some cases, not completely aligned with all needs. However, we have worked hard to ensure that each household has essential items, including beds, mattresses, a fridge, and a microwave for those in homes without white goods. 

Please note that additional furniture such as dining tables or sofas will not be provided at this time, but you are welcome to bring any items you need from Herring Court, to make your stay more comfortable. If you would like to access items of furniture from your home, please let us know via email at enquiries@bdreside.co.uk  and we will arrange for delivery as soon as possible. 

Remedial works 

Our specialist team continue to make progress with the drying-out process. However, the engineers are still assessing the full extent of the water damage, particularly its impact on the electricity supply. Our primary focus is on safely reinstating the electrical supply to the building so that your homes have electricity and essential safety systems like the fire alarm, emergency lighting systems are working. We expect to receive a detailed report early next week, which will provide clearer guidance on the plan of action and associated timescales. Once this information is available, we will share further updates. 

Access arrangements  

Ensuring resident safety and security remains our highest priority. We would like to remind everyone that the lifts must not be used. There is a risk that the lift could stop working without warning and potentially trap occupants inside. 

While we understand that you may still need access to your homes, please can you limit visits to between 07:00 AM and 6:00 PM and take extra care in the stairwells. For security there will be a signing-in system. Residents will need to sign in upon entering the building and sign out upon exiting. These measures are in place to allow the security team to maintain an accurate log of people present in the building at any given time, should an evacuation become necessary while the fire alarm system is out of service. 

Updated evacuation strategy for Herring Court 

While there is no power supply to the building, the fire evacuation strategy for Herring Court has been changed to a 'Full Evacuation'. This means that should you be inside the building and there is an emergency, you should evacuate and gather at the assembly point shown in the fire escape plan here. It is important to ensure you do not sleep in the building as the key life safety systems, such as the fire alarm and emergency lighting, which would assist in evacuation are not operational. The security team will monitor access and inspect occupied floors during visiting hours. Please keep your visits limited and adhere to any instructions given by the security team to help them manage emergencies safely. 

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19 April 2025 - update

Reside thanks residents for their patience and cooperation as we work to bring Herring Court back into use. Safety remains our top priority, and we are committed to keeping residents informed and supported throughout this process.

Temporary evacuation guidance

Due to the power outage at Herring Court, which has compromised critical safety mechanisms including the fire alarm system, it is not safe to stay in the building at this time. While we understand residents may need to collect essential belongings, we kindly ask that any visits to the building be kept to a minimum and limited to daytime hours. For your security, we have arranged 24/7 monitoring of the building to prevent unauthorized access.

Important safety reminder

If you do need to visit Herring Court, please do not use the lifts. It is currently operating on a backup power supply that may stop functioning without notice or warning.

Emergency repairs

If any resident affected has an emergency repair issue in their temporary accommodation that cannot wait until next week, please contact the LBBD out-of-hours service at 020 8215 3000 and select the repair option. This service is available to assist with urgent matters only.

Next steps for Herring Court

Contractors have already attended the building. However, expert investigations can only begin properly once the building has dried further. Please be assured that we will provide updates as soon as we have more clarity on the remediation process. We want to move forward as quickly as possible; we appreciate your understanding that this will take time.

Weekend support

We also ask for your understanding that only genuine emergencies can be supported during this time and only via the out-of-hours number (020 8215 3000). We will, of course, continue to monitor the situation and ensure that Herring Court is safe and secure. The situation will be reviewed again on Tuesday 22 April including the next steps and available support.

We understand this situation is difficult, and we are here to assist residents as best we can.

Thank you again for your patience and cooperation as we look to return Herring Court to use as quickly as we can.

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18 April 2025 - 09:45AM update

Meeting point details

The Reside resident support team will be at Herring Court this morning from 10:30AM to meet with with residents.

Their focus is on supporting you and on finding everyone suitable alternative temporary accommodation while the ongoing safety checks and repair works continue. The building will have to remain evacuated during this time.

17 April 2025 - 22:40PM

We are aware of an issue involving the sprinkler system at Herring Court on the Gascoigne estate in Barking. There are no reports of any casualties, and all residents are accounted for. Reside’s senior management and residents’ support team are on site and liaising with the emergency services and local authority staff to ensure all those affected are supported.

We advise against speculating as to the cause of the sprinkler issue. The appropriate authorities are investigating. Reside, like all other housing providers, has a clear ‘safety first’ protocol for situations like this. Until the building and its fire safety measures have been properly checked and tested, residents have been asked to leave the building and offered alternative, temporary accommodation.

This is a huge inconvenience for all those affected, and while we are thankful that no one was injured, we have every sympathy for the residents of Herring Court.

Once safety checks and work to put right any issues caused by the water have been completed residents will be able to return home. In the meantime, we are working with our residents to provide suitable alternative accommodation.

Our thanks go out to the emergency services for their prompt assistance in the incident.