I had to flee my £335,000 new-build flat over risk of tower block collapse

Hundreds of renters and homeowners in three east London apartment blocks were suddenly evacuated from their homes after being told they are at risk of collapse. Residents living in more than 200 apartments across three blocks in Canning Town, east London, were ordered to leave because of “serious structural issues” which pose a “risk to life”. Many residents in Centurion Tower, Sovereign Tower and St Vincent Court – which are less than 10 years old and part of the Royal Gateway development – were evacuated at around 2am on Saturday and still have no idea when they will be able to return. Shorts Matt Finch, 38, only found out he had to flee his one-bedroom flat, which he bought as a new-build for £335,000 in 2018, after police knocked on his door in the early hours because he’d missed an alert sent to a residents’ WhatsApp group. He said: “I was so confused and worried. In a frenzy, I put together a backpack’s worth of stuff – medication, a couple of sets of clothes in case I wasn’t able to get back into my flat and my laptop, so I could continue doing work.” Mr Finch, who is currently setting up his own business, is now having to live with his dad in Kent and is concerned about what will become of his home in Centurion Tower, which he has “hundreds of thousands of pounds” invested in. Ashwin Wilson, 44, who has been renting a one-bedroom flat in Sovereign Tower for £2,375 a month since 2024, said when she was evacuated all Newham Council could offer was “a mattress on the floor” in a local community centre for “one night”. He and his wife are now staying with friends. Mr Wilson said: “I was in disbelief when we got the WhatsApp telling us we have to leave. “My landlord has been very generous and told us we can end our tenancy if we find somewhere else to live. They have also refunded our rent for the rest of the month. “But there has been zero communication about what is happening now. I don’t know if we will be reimbursed for any costs or by whom. “We are just trying to find short-term accommodation urgently.” The evacuation came after a letter sent to residents said structural issues in the buildings “could result in a collapse”. Prime Property Management, which manages the development, said the risk was linked to cracks and “sagging” in transfer slabs beneath the three blocks, which were built by British housebuilder Galliard in 2018. Transfer slabs beneath the buildings help hold the weight of columns and walls above. The issues are similar to those which forced an evacuation at the Stratford Halo estate in east London last Christmas. Newham Council said it had set up a rest centre and provided emergency accommodation on the night of the evacuation. It urged residents to make contact with Prime Property Management for additional support regarding longer-term alternative accommodation. Prime Property Management said the issue was first raised by engineers during work to prepare building safety cases for the development. The company said: “We recognise the enormity of asking anyone to leave their home. These are not decisions we have made lightly, but they have been made because safety is our immediate priority.” It added that its priority was ensuring the safety of residents and “enabling residents to return to their homes as quickly as possible, when it is safe to do so”.