Abbey Wood residents frustrated with estate refurb

Residents in Abbey Wood are concerned about the quality of work carried out on the Flowers estate after damage within weeks of installation.

After a multi-year fight for upgrades to decades-long neglected areas of the estate work commenced to install new glass panels.

Unfortunately within weeks some are damaged. It is speculated vandalism is the cause – which of course is not the authority’s fault – yet residents question the quality of work and whether it will be fixed.

Damage to brickwork is also apparent.

One resident – who did not wish to named – stated:

“I’ve lost enthusiasm with being involved with projects on the estate, like getting murals up and flower patches on the actual flowers estate (not even one flower). The anti-social behaviour knocks it right out of you, for sure, makes you wonder why you’re even bothering when a persistent few will keep running it all down, but then you have the council who feel complicit in all of that.

Making odd choices with materials (replacing broken glass windows with glass windows that didn’t deter vandals) and taking ages to resolve longstanding issues which lets things get further run down. We had barricaded stairwells for almost four years. It’s a real shame, because the estate looks worse than it actually is, and was starting to look a lot better before the vandals got going again.”

The fear among residents is whether work will continue without taking action to alter materials and use more robust glass and minimise future vandalism – and what happens with fixing damage in future? Will the windows be boarded up as they were for many years?

It’s a great shame vandals appear to be damaging what looks like great upgrades in the area and the same issues of poor communications are apparent. Hopefully some mitigation work can be carried out to ensure no future damage.