Department for Levelling Up takes legal action against tower block freeholder

The Department for Levelling Up has begun legal action against Grey GR, an organisation ultimately owned by RailPen. Grey GR Limited Partnership is the freeholder of Vista Tower, a fifteen-storey tower block in Stevenage. They have 21 days to commit to remediating the tower’s fire safety defects or an application will be made to the courts.

The legal action is one of the first under the newly created Recovery Strategy, which has been set up to identify and pursue those who repeatedly refuse to fix buildings.

Levelling Up Secretary of State, Simon Clarke said: “The lives of over 100 people living in Vista Tower have been put on hold for over two years whilst they wait for Grey GR to remediate unsafe cladding.  Enough is enough.

“This legal action should act as a warning to the rest of industry’s outliers – big and small. Step up, follow your peers and make safe the buildings you own or legal action will be taken against you.”

Sophie Bichener, leaseholder in Vista Tower said: “We thank the Government for helping us, and leaseholders across the country - Vista Tower residents simply want to live in safe and secure homes.

“This action is a step in the right direction for the innocent leaseholders still desperately pleading with their building owners to take responsibility.

“Now the leaseholder protections are in force – it should serve as a warning to those entities still playing games and doing all they can to dodge their legal obligations.”

Leaseholders can now apply for a remedial order and are encouraged to, if the owner of their building is failing their responsibilities.