Incident at Herring Court, Barking

13 June 2025 16:30 - update

We are very pleased to write confirming that Herring Court has been fully checked and passed all the necessary inspections. All residents may return home as of now.

Residents have all been extremely patient, which we appreciate enormously.

We will be in contact with everyone early next week to arrange the return of the keys to temporary accommodation.

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23 May 2025 - update

Specialist engineers are in the process of getting access to individual homes to carry out essential compliance inspections.

The inspections allow everyone to have peace of mind that all systems within the building are
operating as required, and have to be completed before everyone can return home.  The inspections are progressing but taking longer than anticipated.

We are working hard to move the work along at pace and we hope to be able to share better news about timings as soon as possible.

In the meantime, we are sorry for the frustration and inconvenience caused. Thank you for your continued patience whilst we work to resolve the issue and get you home.

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15 May 2025 - update

Access to homes on Monday 19 May 2025 between 9AM and 4PM

On Monday 19 May, engineers will be carrying out inspections on the sprinklers and
fire safety systems together with some necessary wider system checks in each
home in Herring Court. Each inspection will take about two hours to complete.  Access
to the inside of residents' homes is needed and arrangements are being made directly with each household.

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14 May 2025 - update

We have more news about the work being done at Herring Court so that you can return home.

Our contractors have made good progress in restoring the building’s essential services, such as the electrical power and fire alarm panel. The next steps toward making the building safe for reoccupation include the full recommissioning of all life safety systems. This process ensures that each system is functioning correctly, as it was before the flood, and includes gathering and checking updated compliance certification.

As previously updated, these checks are necessary compliance formalities before people can return to Herring Court.

It is still too soon to be able to give you a clear timetable. However, we expect to provide more news in the next few days. 

Please be assured that we are working hard to speed up this phase of the remediation effort.

In the meantime, I know that several people have asked about compensation. Requests for compensation will be considered on a case-by-case basis in line with our policy, and only after everyone has returned home. We will provide more information about the compensation claim process via the website. For the time being, all of our efforts are focused on helping people resolve their temporary accommodation issues and reinstating Herring Court to full use as quickly as possible. 

We will continue to provide more news via the website and our newsletters. We look forward to sharing better news with you very soon.

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9 May 2025 - update

Our contractors have been working in the building since the incident on 17 April. They have made good progress with drying, repairs and remediation. This means that much of the building’s essential services, including the electrical systems, are now being brought back into operation. 

Safety and Compliance 

Of course, we do need to be sure that all the safety checks have been completed satisfactorily. This work is ongoing and will take a bit more time to complete. However, things are moving in the right direction. 

What to expect when you return home 

We have been informed that, for practical reasons, your water supply will only be restored once you are back in your home. This is so that you can check that all your taps are off and that the restored water supply will not lead to further problems. 

Returning home 

We expect to have news about when people can return home as soon as next week. We will be updating you with the details in the next few days, once we have received the outcomes of the next set of safety checks. 

Our priority is to get everyone home as soon as it is safe to do so. 

We completely understand and sympathise with how frustrating this is for residents, and we will continue to work as fast as we can to resolve the situation. 

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1 May 2025 - update

Safety checks and remedial works 

We can confirm that the electrical engineering team arrived on site this morning. They have started the work needed to restore power to the building. Safety is always the priority and so the electrical systems will need to be thoroughly tested before allowing access. We expect a report on their progress in the next few days.  

Meanwhile the contractors appointed to survey the damage and make good are working towards completing their initial reports. Once we have those reports we will be able to tell you how long the building will be out of action.  We know that it is disappointing not to have more information today. Our senior executive team is doing all we can to speed up this process. 

What we can say about the timings is that some households may be able to return home sooner than others. This will depend on how much damage the water caused. To help assess this, the contractors will be inspecting individual flats. Some of you will have already been contacted about arranging access to your home. 

The Reside Team is working to try and speed up this process too. 

Rent and energy costs 

We have received some enquiries relating to rent payments and charges for use of energy because you are not in your homes. We hope it will be helpful to clarify the position on these issues. 

While all tenants of Herring Court remain liable for the standing charges for energy and any ongoing usage in your home (which should be very low), tenants are not currently being charged or billed for any energy or utility usage in your temporary properties.  

Similarly with rents, in common with standard practice, all tenants continue to be liable for the rent charges on your tenancies at Herring Court but are not being charged for rents in your temporary homes.  

Keeping you informed 

We know that information and communication are very important for you all. To ensure that everyone is able to access the most up to date information, including the progress towards a clear timetable for the return to Herring Court, please check back here regularly. Could we also urge all residents to ensure that we have your email address and your mobile number. This way we can ensure people are fully informed promptly and accurately. We also need to be sure that any concerns or issues can be dealt with quickly and managed by the appropriate teams.

You can provide your preferred contact details either via the contact us page or by emailing enquiries@bdreside.co.uk.  

This means we will only be taking calls made via the call centre (LBBD help desk) at 0208 215 3000. Calls or messages made to other numbers will not be received. 

We will update here as soon as we have an update from the reports into the electrical system. 

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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.