Dozens of residents have been forced to leave their homes in Stratford after engineers discovered serious structural defects in part of the Stratford Halo development.
On August 20, structural engineers carried out inspections at Sapphire Court, one of the blocks in the high-profile development, which also includes a skyscraper tower once home to well-known YouTubers such as KSI.
The inspection identified issues in one section of Sapphire Court, prompting building owner Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) to instruct 26 households to vacate immediately. Residents have since been moved into temporary accommodation.
Residents relocated
NHG confirmed it is working with those affected to arrange long-term housing solutions, stressing that safety remains its top priority.
A spokesperson for the housing association said:
“We have supported a group of residents at Sapphire Court to move into temporary accommodation after structural engineers identified defects in one part of the building structure.
Our priority since finding out about this issue has been to protect the health and safety of our residents and to provide them with support during this unsettling time.
We have a dedicated team located on-site to help our residents and will continue to ensure that their needs are met. We understand the concern this news will cause and want to reassure that we are doing all we can to enable residents to return to their home as soon as possible.”
Wider development unaffected
The spokesperson added that the issue is confined to the affected households, with the other 104 flats in Sapphire Court, and the rest of the Stratford Halo development, remaining safe to occupy.
The development, a landmark in east London’s skyline, has faced scrutiny in recent years over fire safety and maintenance issues, though NHG insists this latest evacuation is a precautionary measure to ensure no risk to residents.
Local councillors have urged NHG to keep residents informed and provide clear timelines for remediation work.
