Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Croydon Council will inspect 90 flats in Malcolm Wicks House after The Fold tower in Queen’s Quarter was evacuated over damp, leaks, and mould issues.
According to Croydon Council, tenants have received a letter informing them that there is no need for concern. which is pleasant.
Residents of The Fold, which consists of 251 “executive apartments,” were given effective notice to vacate by March 1, 2026, according to a report published earlier this month by Croydon.
Only in 2022 was the construction finished.
Residents of Fold requested an urgent safety inspection from the London Fire Brigade earlier this month because they were worried about malfunctioning fire shutters and misaligned fire doors. The building is owned by the insurance behemoth Legal and General, whose managers insist that The Fold is secure and has undergone independent fire inspections.
Earlier this month, building engineers were dispatched by L&Q, the housing association that oversees the nearby Bloom House and Chorus Apartments, to inspect their buildings.
In the so-called Queen’s Quarter, the council-led residential complex Malcolm Wicks House, The Fold, Bloom House, and Chorus Apartments was constructed on the site of Taberner House, the former Croydon Council office block. It is situated between the Town Hall, the council’s offices, and the Croydon Flyover.
Jo Negrini, the council’s then-chief executive, and Alison Butler, the then-cabinet member for housing, supported the 500-home plan, which was constructed over a substantial portion of the only public park in Croydon town centre.
The Greater London Authority provided housing payments totaling £100 million to the plan.
It is estimated that only half of the apartments in The Fold are now occupied.
The rent for some of the three-bedroom units in the complex may reach £3,000 a month.
When asked if they were thinking of suing the developers, Hub, for compensation, the public relations firm that L&G had engaged refused to respond.
The terrible conditions in The Fold have been denounced by Croydon politicians of all parties. However, Croydon’s unsuccessful mayor, Jason Perry, has said nothing about the issue.
According to a representative for Perry’s financially constrained council, no “similar issues have come to light” at the 21-story Malcolm Wicks House named for the former Labour MP for Croydon North as of yet.
But this is the same council that for four years denied that there were any issues with mold, damp and leaks in council flats on Regina Road.
The council spox said:
“To ensure the ongoing safety of our residents, the building will shortly be undergoing surveys as part of our regular programme of building safety checks.”
In the statement, the council failed to define what it means by “shortly”.
They said:
“We have written to the residents of Malcolm Wicks House to reassure them that there are no concerns with their block, and our building safety and tenancy management team has been walking the block and door-knocking to provide support and reassurance.”
Of course, if any residents of Malcolm Wicks House want to get in touch and air their views on the situation, our address is on this page.
How can Malcolm Wicks House residents report mould issues?
Residents of Malcolm Wicks House wishing to report mould or any building safety concerns are encouraged to get in touch with the building safety team at Croydon Council. Croydon Council has advised tenants that there have been no concerns that are anything like those discovered at The Fold, but they are also undertaking surveys and site inspections as routine safety measures.
Attending drop-in sessions run by the council in which tenants will be notified (such as for week beginning 22 September 2025).
Residents may also raise concerns to Croydon Council through the appropriate housing or building safety channels available on the council website.