Housing protesters descend on Town Hall after entire block loses hot water

Protesters outside the Town Hall. Photograph: Facundo Arrizabalaga / MyLondon / free for use by LDRS partners

Social housing residents descended on their local council yesterday after “years” of frustration over disrepair came to a head when their entire Hackney block lost hot water.

On Thursday (July 10) protesters from Fellows Court estate in Hackney came to the Town Hall’s front door in the 29-degree heat, demanding urgent action over flooding, mould, and faulty temporary boilers in the social housing block.

Resident Dave Coleman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that after days of contacting the council and posting on social media about the “dire” hot water failures, the inhabitants were told last week that temporary showers would be installed in the building’s courtyard on Saturday 5 July.

“But there were no workmen to be seen until Tuesday,” he said. “The showers were ready by Wednesday, but then yesterday they were shut.”

Meanwhile, two 47-kilogram gas cans had “dangerously” been left outside the washrooms, which Mr Coleman said were not properly secured. “It’s putting residents at risk. Anyone could just walk in,” he said.

Mr Coleman added that his flat had flooded at least three times in the last 10 months, but the problems affecting the block’s north tower stretched back to 2023.

“I’m so sick and tired of it,” he said.

Cathy Purdy, who has lived on the 16th floor for 35 years, said she “didn’t have it too bad, but I despair for the people on the lower floors”.

She added that Mayor of Hackney Caroline Woodley had previously visited the estate due to the persistent issues.

“She told us it made her weep to hear our stories. But that’s as far as it gets,” Ms Purdy said.

The temporary showers installed in the building’s courtyard. Photograph: Rosangela De Faria

In a letter seen by the LDRS, the local authority told residents that while their hot water was down, they would have access to showers in the borough’s Better leisure centres.

But Sara Tinoco, who has lived in the building for 28 years, questioned this as a solution for elderly residents whose nearest health club was a 15-minute walk away. She described the building’s general state, with water “everywhere”, as “just terrible”.

Another resident, Rosangela De Faria, said she had not invited her friends to her home for two years due to the block becoming “so dirty and ugly”.

Mr Coleman added that Hackney’s housing director, Steve Waddington, had “repeatedly promised a deep clean. That has never happened.”

Meanwhile, tenants said many parcels and packages had been stolen from the building in the absence of round-the-clock security, which came to an end after the concierge’s office ceiling collapsed in 2023.

The protesters were joined by Acorn renters’ union, who slammed the “inhumane” conditions they were living with, and handed them red high-vis jackets to wear as they chanted “fix our block” on the Town Hall’s doorstep.

Meanwhile, a few tenants and campaigners went inside with the hope of securing commitments from the council for urgent major works, and to arrange a formal meeting between the local authority and the union. They did not succeed.

“We will be pursuing further action for Fellows Court members and we will continue fighting until their demands are met. We won’t stop until each of our members has safe, secure and well maintained housing,” said Acorn’s Kane Newman.

A Hackney Council spokesperson said: “We are doing everything we can to resolve the serious ongoing issues affecting residents at Fellows Court and sincerely apologise for the disruption and distress this has caused.

“We expect hot water to be reinstated to the building early next week. Following this, we will carry out further testing on the risers that supply hot water to each floor and carry out any necessary repairs to ensure full service is restored to all residents as quickly as possible.”

Update: this article was amended at 5.24m on 11 July 2025. Mayor Caroline Woodley visited the estate but not the building in question, as previously stated.