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Islington Tribune - by MARK BLUNDEN
Published: 10 August 2007

Sharon Hayward

Heavy rain spoils play as all-weather pitch ‘sinks’

Legal action threat for company over £1.5m contract

AN all-weather football pitch on the Finsbury estate is leaking so badly that residents fear it may collapse into the void below.
Now the company in charge of Islington’s council housing is considering legal action against the contractor that carried out the works.
The Finsbury estate had its overground car park turned into an all-weather pitch in 2005 at a cost of £1.5 million.
At the same time, another car park beneath was decommissioned and lies empty.
Contractors apparently drilled through electrical cables, piercing a waterproof membrane between the pitch’s surface and the chasm below, causing torrents of water to gush into the old car park whenever it rains.
Residents are now concerned the leaking pitch could corrode and give way.
Sharon Hayward, secretary of the Finsbury Estate Tenants and Residents Association (Fetra), said: “The pitch is heavily used and we want assurances that nothing dangerous is going to happen for the kids playing on it and people walking across it.
“We are worried that in the long term it could damage the structure of the buildings surrounding it.”
The works, completed almost two and a half years ago, cost more than £1.5 million paid mostly by the EC1 New Deal regeneration body.
It was overseen by Homes for Islington (HfI), the company that manages the borough’s housing stock.
A new playing surface and waterproof membrane was installed on top.
But five months ago, Fetra discovered massive leaks in the car park below.
They claim that despite a number of complaints, no one got back to them to reveal the extent of the problem or potential safety risks.
Now an independent surveyor’s report shows the extent of the leaks.
It reveals a “complete lack of understanding for waterproofing penetrations through the membrane”; drains blocked with construction materials and the collection of a large volume of standing water.
Sharron Kelly, chairwoman of Fetra, said “When we first found out, senior architects refused to respond to our emails and when we complained we were passed to a project officer from the housing department.
“We’ve obtained some information, only by persistence and asking the right questions.
“We still haven’t been told how and when this
is to be dealt with”
An HfI spokesman said: “There is a problem with leaking into the underground car park on the Finsbury estate which we are trying to get rectified by the firm that carried out the work. We have informed the local tenants and residents association (TRA) of the problems and have provided them with the independent surveyor’s report on the site.
“A final solution has yet to be agreed to our satisfaction to deal with the leakage.
“We are looking at ways to bring this to a conclusion as quickly as possible including legal options.
“We will be updating the TRA on progress as and when we have further information.”

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