More than 400 residents were forced to leave their flats at The Filigree in Lewisham Town Centre after a major leak caused a water and power outage for some of the homes.
The incident, which happened in February, was caused by a burst mains water pipe and ended up flooding the energy centre’s basement which is used to power three buildings on site.
The residents, all of whom are private tenants, were told they could not return to their flats because it was unsafe to do so.
The residents were supported in temporary accommodation by their landlord, Get Living while an investigation was carried out to understand the long-term impact of the flooding.
In March of this year, residents were told they could expect repair work to take between six to 12 months.
At the end of last month, Get Living posted an update which said the development is unlikely to reopen until mid to late 2026.
The update, which was posted on the site’s Instagram page on November 28, said: “After a full investigation, we now know what work needs to be done.
This includes replacing key equipment and materials so the energy centre can be safely rebuilt.
“As the work is complex and takes place underground, it will take some time to complete. Although we can’t confirm a reopening date yet, our early estimate is mid to late 2026.”
It went on to state: “The incident has also affected some ground-floor retail spaces but the process of finding occupiers for these units, including the cinema, is still moving forward. We look forward to sharing updates on new retailers as soon as they’re confirmed.”
Residents were staying in temporary accommodation until April 23, when they were moved into other Get Living developments based in Stratford, Elephant & Castle, Leatherhead and Maidenhead at the same rent levels.
It was reported in the News Shopper that if the rent in the new location was cheaper, residents would pay a lower rate.
Tenants will reportedly be given two months’ notice when the site will reopen, and can decide whether they want to return to their original home, terminate their tenancy or start a new tenancy at the Get Living property they were relocated to.
One resident who has asked not to be named, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “There’s loads of people that don’t know that The Filigree is empty or that it’s sitting empty and that loads of people are displaced.
“People are having to move out of the borough – I don’t know how many people are in a similar situation or have been impacted similarly but I’m sure it’s a good few families.”
The site consists of 649 new homes, including 424 market rent and 106 affordable homes, and welcomed its first tenants in the summer of 2024. The development is set to also feature 88,000 square feet of retail, leisure, food and beverage space, as well as a new cinema.
A Get Living spokesperson said they are dealing with a “catastrophic infrastructure failure” at The Filigree, which requires extensive repairs to ensure it is safe and habitable again for residents.
They added: “As a company that prides itself on creating thriving new neighbourhoods for renters, we are committed to ensuring residents are supported throughout this period.
“We have been able to relocate a third of residents to other Get Living neighbourhoods at the same level of rent. This includes our London Living rent tenants who have been relocated to our market rent homes.
“We will continue to keep all residents closely updated as work progresses and remain committed to supporting them throughout this period.”
Cllr Will Cooper, Cabinet Member for Better Homes, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness at Lewisham Council, said: “The flooding at The Filigree in [February] has caused serious disruption for residents, and we understand how stressful this has been.
“While the situation is managed by Get Living, not the council, we are working closely with them to support residents. Get Living [has provided] temporary accommodation and [has offered] the option to move to other nearby properties at the same rent, including those on the London Living Rent scheme.”
Cllr Cooper added that anyone choosing this option will not have to pay council tax from the date they were first evacuated. He added: “We continue to monitor the situation and are committed to supporting residents during this difficult time.”
Cllr Liam Shrivastava, a Lewisham Greens councillor, said the Filigree development “symbolises the litany of housebuilding failures in Lewisham”.
Cllr Shrivastava added: “It’s totally unacceptable for people to have to stay another year out of their homes, with most placed out of borough.
“The Mayor of Lewisham incorrectly accuses the Green Party of being anti-development, but under decades of Labour administration, Lewisham has seen too many poorly designed, sub-standard and unaffordable housing being built. Lewisham Greens want high-quality affordable housing, not poorly-built homes that serve profits over people.”
Cllr James-J Walsh, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning at Labour-run Lewisham Council, said: “Lewisham Council was neither the developer nor the building control authority for Filigree.
“We acted immediately to support residents, and we are pushing the developer to fix the issues without delay. Trying to paint that as a wider systemic failure is simply wrong. Our priority is delivering high quality, genuinely affordable homes.”
Cllr Walsh added: “Cllr Shrivastava’s claims do not stand up to scrutiny. He has never delivered a single home in Lewisham, yet he is quick to criticise those who are doing the hard work.
“Lewisham Council has been rated, in the last month, as a Gold standard planning authority and one of the top 3 in London by the government [National Planning Performance figures].”
