Housing minister Michael Gove visits crumbling Camden flats

The Ham&High reported last month how leaseholders at 53 Agar Grove spent millions of pounds on luxury new-build flats, which began falling apart soon after they moved in in 2019.

Walls have cracked, ceilings fallen down and leaks and floods have plagued the homeowners since 2020.

Leaseholders last week gave the Secretary of State a tour of their “catastrophically damaged” properties.

One, Daniel Bruce, said the cabinet minister was “disgusted” by what he saw.

Mr Gove’s visit last Thursday (June 22) coincided with filming by BBC consumer rights show Rip-Off Britain, which may cover the case later this year.

“He did an interview for them,” Daniel said. “He’s committed to go away and look for other avenues that might improve our situation.”

Daniel’s master bedroom has become unusable due to a terrible smell, possibly caused by rot hidden behind the walls or floor of his ensuite.

Two expert surveyors have found that the building is moving, with the most recent saying the best remedy may be to simply demolish it.

Meanwhile, the properties have been valued at £0 and deemed uninsurable and unmortgageable.

After the Ham&High reported on the owners' situation, the story was picked up by the Sun, the Mirror, the Daily Mail and the BBC.

Catch up on the Ham&High's exclusive reports from Agar Grove:

• 'Our new-build flats are crumbling after just three years. We could lose everything'
• Company that signed off crumbling flats could be prosecuted
• Building controllers who signed off crumbling, worthless flats could be struck-off
  
  Michael Gove at 53 Agar Grove with leaseholders Alexandra Druzhinin and Daniel Bruce last Thursday, June 22 (Image: Daniel Bruce)

Acasta European Insurance Company, which provided the ten-year warranty on the block, has so far failed to pay out, provoking criticism from the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

“We consider their behaviour unreasonable and we expect them to produce a plan to resolve the issue promptly,” a spokesperson said last month.

The Ham&High asked DLUHC for a statement from Mr Gove about his visit, but it instead provided one from a spokesperson.

It said: “We are committed to securing the resolution that the leaseholders here deserve.

“The Secretary of State has been absolutely clear that those who should have helped leaseholders have all moved too slowly and this is simply not good enough.

“Acasta must address all problems swiftly so the leaseholders who have suffered unjustly can get on with their lives.”

Acasta has previously said: “We take these concerns very seriously and are committed to fulfilling any obligations under the relevant insurance policies."