Residents’ anger as heating left on over hottest May on record at Grenfell Tower estate

Leighton Evans, who lives in the walkways of the Lancaster West Estate, in Kensington and Chelsea, said that the temperature inside his flat has been “disgusting” and “terrible” during the heatwave in London.

“I’m not getting much sleep and I’ve been waking up in a pool of sweat,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He said that in the evening residents can sit out on their shaded balconies but that during the day they have to find cooler places to sit.

“In the daytime it’s better to sit outside in the shade – most of us have been sitting out there [on the grass outside],” he added.

He said that all three of the walkways have experienced issues. Kensington and Chelsea Council have told the LDRS that only a “small number” of homes had been affected.

The UK saw its hottest May Day ever on Tuesday. Kew Gardens in south-west London recorded a provisional temperature of 35.1C, beating Monday’s 34.8C record-high in the same place.

Mr Evans told the LDRS that a plumber turned up to turn-off the heating in his flat as he spoke to the LDRS, at about 11am on Thursday morning.

Grenfell Next of Kin, which supports people affected by the tragedy, posted to X: “Residents have been raising this for years. Nine years after the Grenfell Tower fire, the Walkways blocks are still relying on a ‘temporary’ boiler system. Temporary does not mean nearly a decade later.

“In this heatwave, the communal heating is blasting constantly. Then in winter, the system fails when people actually need heating.”

The Lancaster West Estate has been undergoing a lengthy regeneration, which has proved controversial with some of the residents.

A spokesperson for Kensington and Chelsea Council said: “We are sorry for the issue with the communal heating system at a very small number of homes on the Lancaster West Estate. We have now checked and rectified each reported case and offered air coolers to the residents to help with the heat.

“We’re close to completing the new Lancaster West Heat Network which will start delivering heat to the estate and surrounding areas from next year. This alongside the new heating systems being installed in homes during the refurbishment will ensure reliable, sustainable heating for decades to come. Inefficient pipework will be replaced so issues around heat transfer will be greatly reduced.”