Previous Updates

Updated 2/5/24

Redrow, Thomasons and Longworth met on Tuesday 30th April, for a 'Practical Completion' meeting. The outcome of the meeting was that Redrow, as the client, are happy to proceed to the formal stage known as Practical Completion, with the following points noted.

A relatively small number of snagging issues have been identified and are being documented by Thomasons

A review of the 'fins' around the buildings to improve the misalignments

The garden landscaping contractor to be appointed

Project documentation to be collated and made available for DFC to progress the EWS1 certification

Sainsbury's glass canopy installation to be scheduled, along with completing the adjacent fins

This is a positive milestone, and no further visits or meetings are planned by Redrow in connection with the external works.

Members of Longworth will occasionally be seen on site during May, undertaking the snagging, clearing the service yard etc.

From the original cladding survey undertaken on W3 in the summer of 2020, working with an ever changing Government process for remediation, to Redrow stepping in around April 2022, the external cladding fire safety issues have finally been remediated, at a cost of approx £7M.

We now await the revised EWS1 certificate, expected around July 2024.

In the meantime, NW Access, the window cleaner that W3 have used for several years, have been engaged by Longworth to undertake a building wide clean, paid for by Longworth.

The provisional dates for the installation of the glass canopy are night time works on 7th, 8th, 9th May.

INTERNAL WORKS

The findings from the recent investigations of a sample of apartment front doors has now firmed up the scope for all 224 apartment doors.

1 The spy hole needs fire remediation - this requires access to the inside of every apartment front door.

2 The filling between the apartment front door frame and the wall needs to be remediated - this involves removing the door architraves on the communal corridor side of the door, applying the approved filler to the gap, replacing the architrave and redecoration. In some cases, depending on the size of the gap, the internal front door architraves may also have to be removed, gap filled, and architraves replaced.

Miller Knight are working on a timetable for each apartment and it is expected that 'W3Liaison' will then contact leaseholders to schedule each apartment.

The costs and scope of this apartment front door remediation could not have been quantified before the recent audit and was not factored into the original costs and timscales. The impact of this is to increase the cost to approx £770K plus VAT, and to move the anticipated end date for all internal works to mid August 2024.

The internal works are working from top down, with the lower floors seeing virtually no sign of any works so far. Now that the remediation works on the 8th floor are nearing completion the ceiling openings on the 8th floor will begin to be closed up

from next week.

Updated 28/4/24

EXTERNAL WORKS

Following a couple of earlier postponements, the significant milestone in the external works - 'Practical Completion' is scheduled for Tuesday 30th April.

Practical Completion is the point at which the building project is complete (construction wise), except for snagging, minor defects etc. The meeting involves Redrow, Thomasons and Longworth and if Practical Completion is confirmed, this web page will be updated following that meeting.

The main known items classed as 'snagging' ahead of the meeting are :-

The glass canopy above Sainsbury's entrance - as previously advised, this has no material impact to the fire safety of the building, new glass has been ordered at approx £36,000 plus VAT. The provisional dates for the installation of the glass are night time works on 7th, 8th, 9th May.

The Garden replanting - the planned contractor withdrew from discussions before a contract was signed. Longworth are sourcing an alternative contractor and the W3 Managing Agents - CPM have offered to undertake the works for Longworth.

Minor remediation works in 3 apartments - to be scheduled for early May

A builders clean of external windows and cladding

Realignment works to the 6 'fins' - the thin aluminium cladding between apartment windows on Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street - this will involve a platform hoist to allow access to floors 1 - 8

Practical Completion should also involve the handover of all the technical, construction and fire safety documentation relating to the external works and allow Thomasons to issue that documentation to DFC, who in turn will issue a revised EWS1 certification - we anticipate an EWS1 rating of B1 will be awarded for W3.

As the W3 carpark is slowly getting back to normal, some (but not all) of the carpark spaces have now been returned from Longworth and those leaseholders impacted have been informed.

INTERNAL WORKS

Miller Knight continue the internal works, although because of the approval process required for each remediation the progress is not as fast as had been initially planned. The EWS1 certification is not dependant upon the Miller Knight works.

The sample audit of apartments doors was completed last Wednesday - thanks to everyone who co-operated.

The large ceiling openings above apartment doors have now been completed on floor 8-6, and communal openings will take place on floor 4 now.

The work to the apartment front doors has been aligned to reflect the demised status of the apartment door, other than the outer surface. The spy holes will be replaced or made fire proof, and the outer door frames in the corridor will be removed, any gaps between the door frame and the wall filled, before the door frames are reinstated. A schedule for these apartment door works is expected to be issued soon.

A monthly progress meeting on Tuesday 30th April will give a better indication of the expected completion date now that the full extent of works on the residential floors is know.

Updated 23/4/24

The power outage last week was successful and has lead to the welfare unit in the lower carpark being dismantled. The area of the welfare unit still needs to be 'made good' before any carpark changes / reversals can be planned.

EXTERNAL WORKS

The night shifts last week did not complete the work in the Sainsbury's area and further night shifts are planned for each night this week to complete the work. The new canopy is on order with an expected 6-8 week lead time, however this will not hold up 'practical completion' and the submission of all the information and documentation required for the EWS1 to be issued.

Work is also ongoing in the service yard entrance area and is due to be completed by 29th April.

Practical Completion is now planned, however there are discussions taking place between all parties about one particular aspect of the works that have been completed, and whether the issues are 'snagging' and therefore addressed after Practical Completion, or if the issues are more substantial and may hold up Practical Completion. The earliest Practical Completion will take place is Tuesday 30th April.

A builders cleaning is being arranged with abseilers cleaning the outside of the building including windows.

Unfortunately the contractor who was to reinstate the garden has declined to undertake the work for Longworth, who are now seeking an alternative contractor.

We expect the refuse bins that are currently in the carpark to be relocated to the service yard later this month.

Based on Practical Completion on 30th April we expect the revised EWS1 to be issued around late June 2024.

INTERNAL WORKS

A sample audit of apartment door communal facing architraves is planned for Wednesday 24th April, to further inform the solutions that need to be approved for all apartment doors.

Work has started on floors 7 and 8 to create more openings in the ceiling, one adjacent to each apartment, to expose the area where water, electricity, TV and intercom signals, extraction vent etc enter/exit each apartment, for each of these penetrations to be remediated and inspected before closing up again.

Updated 13/4/24

The communal power outage is planned for the late evening of 15th April - this will impact communal lighting (emergency lighting will activate), passenger lifts, goods lift etc and is expected to last no more than 2 hours from approx 23:30. This is required to disconnect the power for the Longworth welfare unit in the lower carpark.

EXTERNAL WORKS

Three nightshifts have been completed this week on the Sainsbury's entrance area, and a further 4 are planned for next week - this is expected to finalise everything in that area (except for the glass canopy) by Friday 19th April. The new canopy is on order with an expected 6-8 week lead time, however this will not hold up 'practical completion' and the submission of all the information and documentation required for the EWS1 to be issued.

For the south west area, in and around the service yard, the majority of materials for this area were delivered to site on Friday 12th April but with some panels and materials not due until next week. In turn this is pushing back 'practical completion' by one week and the planned practical completion meeting on Wednesday 17th April has been cancelled and is expected to be rescheduled w/c 22nd April.

A builders cleaning is being arranged with abseilers cleaning the outside of the building including windows.

We expect the refuse bins that are currently in the carpark to be relocated to the service yard later this month.

We currently expect the revised EWS1 to be issued by late June

INTERNAL WORKS

The process for the internal works started with a building wide audit last September that identified a long list of fire safety issues. However that survey, in the main, was not intrusive. Miller Knight, the contractor undertaking the internal works, is not simply addressing the issues identified in the 2023 survey, instead they are removing significant parts of the communal ceiling adjacent to fire walls to identify every issue. Each type of 'issue' then has to have a solution identified and approved by various parties, including Redrow, Building Control and the Fire Safety Inspectors. Only once a solution has been fully approved can the issue be remediated.

This process of identify, solution design and approval has resulted in a slower start then expected but residents may now be seeing Miller Knight are tagging issues within the ceiling holes as remediations are completed. Once the solutions are completed, a further Fire Safety inspection is required before the ceiling holes can be closed up again - we are expecting some of the ceiling holes to begin to be closed up in the next week or so.

At the same time, work is expected to start in the next week or so to create more holes in the ceiling, one adjacent to each apartment, to expose the area where water, electricity, TV and intercom signals etc enter each apartment, for each of these penetrations to be remediated and inspected before closing up again.

Updated 8/4/24

EXTERNAL WORKS

The first of up to 7 night shifts will commence on Tuesday 9th April, with the evenings of 9th, 10th, 11th, 15th, 16th, 17th ,18th being used. However if the works can be completed faster the number of nights will be reduced. These works will be in the Sainsbury's entrance area and at the bottom of the balcony fins. The glass canopy above the Sainsbury's entrance will be fitted at a later date.

90% of the taxi rank/ Whitworth Street compound has been returned to normal use.

In the area close to the service yard the outstanding cladding works can be completed during normal hours. These works are awaiting delivery of specific parts, due to be on site this week.

A builders cleaning is being arranged with abseilers cleaning the outside of the building including windows.

We expect the refuse bins that are currently in the carpark to be relocated to the service yard later this month.

A new plan has been issued by Longworth on 13th March and can be seen here Target Completion Programme TC11 13.03.24.pdf

The EWS1 certificates are currently taking 6-8 weeks after the external fire consultants, DFC, receive all the documentation from Longworth and Thomasons so we expect to receive the EWS1 for W3 in June.

INTERNAL WORKS

Works have started on site, opening up the communal ceiling on the 8th floor to fully expose the services that pass through communal walls and into apartments. This has allowed the fire safety consultants to finalise the design for remediatons.

Overall the internal project has got off to a slow start due to the absence of available Fire Strategy Drawings, therefore once the ceilings have been opened up these drawings have had to be produced, proposed remediation designs created and approved and materials sourced.

It is anticipated that the apartment front door surveys will start to be planned later this week.

Updated 3/4/24

The new proposed date for the communal power outage is Monday 15th April.

EXTERNAL WORKS

75% of the taxi rank/ Whitworth Street compound has been returned to normal use.

All scaffolding material has been removed from site. Approx 5 overnight sessions are required to complete the soffit work in the Sainsbury's entrance area - these were due to commence on 2nd April - unfortunately this has been delayed until w/c 8th April.

The new signs for Manchester Apartments have been installed, the Sainsbury's signs are still outstanding.

The glass canopy above the Sainsbury's entrance was removed several months ago to allow access to the cladding, and stored in the W3 carpark, however whilst the glass met all the building regulations 23 years ago, those standards have changed and replacement glass, that meets today's building regulations has been ordered, at a cost of £36,000 plus VAT. The lead time for this glass is a minimum 8 weeks and therefore 'practical completion' and the submission for the EWS1 certification will take place prior to this glass being installed, with the contractors returning in the summer to install the glass as a night time task.

In the area close to the service yard the outstanding cladding works can be completed during normal hours.

The garden decking is scheduled to be put back this week, w/c 1.4.24.

A builders cleaning is being arranged with abseilers cleaning the cladding around the building.

We expect the refuse bins that are currently in the carpark to be relocated to the service yard later this month.

A communal power outage has been requested, date TBC, to disconnect the Longworth power supply from their office and welfare units. This will be carried out overnight, but will impact the W3 water pumps and lifts as well as corridor lighting.

A new plan has been issued by Longworth on 13th March and can be seen here Target Completion Programme TC11 13.03.24.pdf

Updated 1/4/24

EXTERNAL WORKS

75% of the taxi rank/ Whitworth Street compound has been returned to normal use.

All scaffolding material has been removed from site. Approx 5 overnight sessions are required to complete the soffit work in the Sainsbury's entrance area - these will commence on the evening of Tuesday 2nd April.

The new signs for Manchester Apartments have been installed, the Sainsbury's signs are still outstanding.

In the area close to the service yard the outstanding cladding works can be completed during normal hours.

The garden decking is scheduled to be put back this week, w/c 1.4.24.

A builders cleaning is being arranged with abseilers cleaning the cladding around the building.

We expect the refuse bins that are currently in the carpark to be relocated to the service yard later this month.

A new plan has been issued by Longworth on 13th March and can be seen here Target Completion Programme TC11 13.03.24.pdf

INTERNAL WORKS

It is anticipated that the apartment front door surveys will start to be planned later this week.

Updated 24/3/24

EXTERNAL WORKS

The overnight works last week saw the last of the scaffolding removed from Whitworth Street and Oxford Street.

This allows the works that are outstanding at the lower levels, cladding, soffits and Sainsbury's entrance area.

No overnight working is planned for w/c 25th March but there are plans for w/c 1st April. The first nightshift that week is scheduled to be 2nd April. This will involve the use of handheld power tools as Longworth will be using fixings that have a self-tapping thread, that allows them to cut their own thread into the substrate without the need for predrilling, these will be quieter than the Crest's impact power tools.

Longworth will also be using a mobile platform to gain access and so some degree of noise from its operation will be inevitable.

Longworth have released a date for 'Practical Completion' (The point at which the works are completed other than for snagging and minor defects) as Friday 5th April - less than 2 weeks to go. This date will be confirmed at the monthly progress meeting on 26th March.

A new plan has been issued by Longworth on 13th March and can be seen here Target Completion Programme TC11 13.03.24.pdf

INTERNAL WORKS

A monthly meeting for the internal works is also planned for 26th March and the main points will be shared here.

Updated 20/3/24

EXTERNAL WORKS

Overnight working will take place Wednesday 20th March and Thursday 21st March to remove the street level scaffolding which cannot be taken down during normal working hours. To minimise the noise, as with previous overnight working no mechanical tools will be used.

The scaffolders will also be working both Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th which will leave the scaffolding removal almost completed.

Longworth have released a date for 'Practical Completion' (The point at which the works are completed other than for snagging and minor defects) as Friday 5th April - just over 2 weeks time.

A new plan has been issued by Longworth on 13th March and can be seen here Target Completion Programme TC11 13.03.24.pdf

INTERNAL WORKS

W3 Directors took part in a 'pre start' meeting today for the internal works, with representatives from Redrow, Miller Knight (contractors carrying out the work) and various experts that will be involved in the project.

Some key points for residents and leaseholders are :-

The Miller Knight team will commence on site on Monday 18th March.

They will be working on fire stopping for services (cables/pipes etc) between floors, fire doors, surrounds, and assessment of fire risk with apartment front doors. A number of apartment front doors have already been surveyed but every front door will need to be checked.

They will start on the 8th floor and work down to the basement and the project will last approx 10-14 weeks. It should be completed by mid June.

They plan to work on up to 3 floors at a time. The W3 cleaners will be asked not to clean areas where work is taking place.

It is anticipated that part of the communal corridor ceiling will need to be removed outside every apartment, to allow access to the services entering each apartment, with the ceiling made good afterwards.

Between 12-15 contractors will be on site. They will be uniformed with Miller Knight hi-vis and ID passes.

Fire doors will be replaced or repaired as necessary and surrounds remediated if required.

Miller Knight will bring a portacabin office and toilet onsite to be placed in the service yard. The service yard will continue to be 'out of bounds' until this work is completed.

The working hours for Miller Knight will be 8:00am - 5:00pm Monday to Friday, but with no noisy operations starting before 08:30.

This is the final piece of major work to ensure that the building is safe and meets the fire regulations that will allow us to reach full certification in summer. We ask for your help and co-operation as we undertake this activity. If you have any questions please shout

Updated 14/3/24

EXTERNAL WORKS

A new plan has been issued by Longworth on 13th March and can be seen here Target Completion Programme TC11 13.03.24.pdf

This latest plan shows a total completion date, including the removal of the welfare unit by 12th April - 4 weeks time.

INTERNAL WORKS

Some key points for residents and leaseholders are :-

The Miller Knight team will commence on site on Monday 18th March.

They will start on the 8th floor and work down to the basement and the project will last approx 10-14 weeks. It should be completed by mid June.

They plan to work on up to 3 floors at a time. The W3 cleaners will be asked not to clean areas where work is taking place.

Between 12-15 contractors will be on site. They will be uniformed with Miller Knight hi-vis and ID passes.

Fire doors will be replaced or repaired as necessary and surrounds remediated if required.

Miller Knight will bring a portacabin office and toilet onsite to be placed in the service yard. The service yard will continue to be 'out of bounds' until this work is completed.

The working hours for Miller Knight will be 8:00am - 5:00pm Monday to Friday, but with no noisy operations starting before 08:30.

Updated 11/3/24

Some key points for residents and leaseholders are :-

The Miller Knight team will commence on site on Monday 18th March.

They will start on the 8th floor and work down to the basement and the project will last approx 10-14 weeks. It should be completed by mid June.

They plan to work on up to 3 floors at a time. The W3 cleaners will be asked not to clean areas where work is taking place.

Between 12-15 contractors will be on site. They will be uniformed with Miller Knight hi-vis and ID passes.

Fire doors will be replaced or repaired as necessary and surrounds remediated if required.

Miller Knight will bring a portacabin office and toilet onsite to be placed in the service yard. The service yard will continue to be 'out of bounds' until this work is completed.

The working hours for Miller Knight will be 8:00am - 5:00pm Monday to Friday, but with no noisy operations starting before 08:30.

External works continue, with the scaffolding now droppings in the South East corner, with a completion date for Longworth of mid-April.

Engagement has also started now with the contractors that will be undertaking the internal works - Miller Knight. Providing the last of the contract and insurance documents are in place for early next week, the Redrow Board will give approval for the works to commence.

Updated 7/3/24

External works continue, with the scaffolding now droppings in the South East corner, with a completion date for Longworth of mid-April.

Miller Knight will have a smaller team on site than Longworth, with a team of approximately 10. Their scope covers all the communal areas, carpark, riser cupboards, and every apartment front door. There will be a period of time when both Longworth and Miller Knight are on site and this may allow for shared welfare facilities during that short period, but Miller Knight will be establishing their welfare facilities in the W3 Service Yard. Miller Knight need significantly less storage room than Longworth and will use a room adjacent to the service yard. Miller Knight may need a number of carpark spaces, and if this is the case they would have a similar arrangement to Longworth - details will be shared with those leaseholders currently being compensated if spaces are needed. The working hours for Miller Knight will be 8:00am - 5:00pm Monday to Friday, but with no noisy operations starting before 08:30.

More information on the internal works will be shared in the coming days.

Updated 28/02/24

At the monthly project meeting this week it was stated that the end date for the construction works is now expected to be mid April. The key contributing factor to this 2 week delay is the availability of scaffolding personnel to take down the scaffolding. At present there is an average of 6 scaffolders on site and despite the discussions that have taken place, it would appear no further resource is forthcoming. The timeline gains made prior to Christmas, when more resource was available, have unfortunately now been lost.

So that gives approx 6 weeks to go for the external cladding works. A ‘snagging’ walk around the building will take place close to that end date with the W3 Managing Agents CPM.

It was also stated that the fire consultants, DFC, are taking 6-8 weeks to issue the EWS1 certificate following the end of the construction works and the supply of all the documentation, so we would currently expect to receive that in June. Once this is received by Redrow, and shared with the W3 Management Company we will inform leaseholders by email.

The additional 2 weeks of Longworth onsite means there will be a longer overlap with the contractors working on the internal fire safety works - Miller Knight. All being well they are due to start on 18th March and details are now being finalised about any storage, service yard or carpark requirements they may have. Whilst the focus of Miller Knight is the communal areas, the nature of the W3 lease in relation to apartment front doors means they will need access to every apartment to inspect and remediate any issues with the apartment front door, the door frame, spy hole and metal work.

Updated 25/02/24

The latest update from the site managers is that all construction work and scaffold removal will be completed by Thursday 28th March, (less than 5 weeks to go) and the following week, after the Easter bank holiday, the welfare unit will be dismantled - with everything completed by Friday 5th April, allowing all the carpark spaces to be returned to owners and residents.

The scaffolding in the South East corner is scheduled to start being removed in the coming week. A couple of non cladding related roof issues are being assessed in this area and hopefully that will not impact the scaffolding drop dates.

At the next monthly meeting, scheduled for 27th February - the 'Practical Completion' date will be set. This involves the completion of the onsite works, along with specific documentation being handed over to the Fire Risk Consultants - who will eventually issue the updated EWS1 document - we are expecting this to be available to leaseholders around May/June 2024. CPM - the W3 managing agents will be invited to a ‘snagging’ review with the contractors to identify any residual issues for the contractors to pick up.

After a number of delayed starts, the external balcony and terrace lights will be replaced with brand new units from this coming Tuesday.

For the internal works, estimated at around £400,000, everyone involved is focussed on s start date of 18th March. The outstanding items to achieve that are arranging the insurance cover and signing a consent letter (W3 ManCo actions) and finalising the contract with the contractor Miller Knight and the fire safety inspector FRC (Redrow actions). The details of what this work involves, how it will impact residents, and apartment access requirements will be shared once everything is finalised.

Updated 15/02/24

The overnight works outside Sainsbury’s to install a new scaffolding layer was completed. Further overnight works are expected but there are none planned for next week.

The scaffolding above the front door is down to the last 2 levels and this should be fully down in the next few days.

Abseilers are now working on the building for the cladding contractors so please be aware they may be outside apartment windows.

The latest update from the site managers is that all construction work and scaffold removal will be completed by Thursday 28th March, (6 weeks to go) and the following week, after the Easter bank holiday, the welfare unit will be dismantled - with everything completed by Friday 5th April, allowing all the carpark spaces to be returned to owners and residents.

The comparison of the tender responses for the internal works is still ongoing by Redrow. We are trying to identify if a similar welfare unit and/or carpark space may be required for those contractors. Every effort is being made to start the internal works in March, otherwise it is expected not to start until the summer due to change in building control regulations.

The service yard has not returned back to 'normal' - it will remain an active building site, with the same access restrictions. There will still be old building materials stored in the yard, plant machinery, the hoist, as well as work to be carried out to the cladding in the service yard entrance area.

There was a recent accident in the service yard area and therefore it remains essential that anyone wishing to access the service yard area will need to contact w3liaison@gmail.com to arrange access and be prepared to wear the appropriate PPE.

Updated 08/2/24 - revised 10/2/24

The service yard and Ritz area is now cleared of all scaffolding.

The scaffolding above the front door is now being dropped (currently at layer 7), whilst the 'fins' are worked on in the remaining of the scaffolding areas.

A number of overnight works will be required to remove the street level scaffolding on Whitworth Street West and Oxford St and to complete the work outside Sainsbury's -Wednesday 14th is confirmed for overnight working - to construct more scaffolding in the Sainsbury's entrance area

The current project plan - (Link below) shows a completion date of 29th April 2024, however the project team have stated again this week (7th Feb) that they expect their last day on site to be 28th March 2024 - meaning there are approx 7 weeks left on site.

Internal Fire Safety works - work is still progressing by Redrow to award the works in the next few days and for work to comment in March to take advantage of the interim building control arrangements. There were a number of anomalies between the 2 quotes received to complete the works, and these are being clarified by the Redrow professional advisers. It is unknown at this time if the proposed takeover of Redrow by Barratt will impact this timing. The approx cost of these works is £300,000

Apartment External Lights - Earlier this month 18 of the external lights were reconnected by the cladding contractor's electricians. Other apartments were scheduled to have their light(s) reconnected on 17th - 19th January - with this schedule being cancelled at quite short notice. It became apparent to the cladding contractor that the act of removing a 23 year old light, and subsequent refitting of the light, was leaving them in a poorer state/appearance than they were before the cladding works commenced in February last year.

Those apartments scheduled for 17th - 19th January were cancelled, whilst options were considered and discussions took place with Redrow.

A brand new replacement light is now being sourced, and paid for by the contractors - for all external apartment lights, including those 18 refitted earlier this month.

Updated 31/01/24

The scaffolding in the service yard and Ritz end of W3 is scheduled to be fully removed by 7th February. However this will not return the service yard back to 'normal' - it will remain an active building site, with the same access restrictions. There will still be old building materials stored in the yard, plant machinery, the hoist, as well as cladding work to be carried out to the cladding in the service yard entrance area.

From the middle of next week, the focus moves to removing the scaffolding from the front door area, where all the cladding works are now complete - other than scaffold tie areas.

A number of overnight works will be required to remove the street level scaffolding on Whitworth Street West and Oxford St and to complete the work outside Sainsbury's.

The current project plan - (Link below) shows a completion date of 29th April 2024, however the project team have stated this week that they expect their last day on site to be 28th March 2024 - meaning there are approx 8 weeks left on site.

Internal Fire Safety works - following the draft report that was issued and shared in December, two quotes have been obtained by Redrow with an aim of awarding contract within the next 10 days. Both quotes are significantly higher than was anticipated and cover many areas that the surveys previously arranged by R&R never picked up on. Both potential contractors are quoting a similar duration on site - approx 10 weeks. The ‘building control’ role for such works is in the process of moving to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - this may have an impact on when the internal works can be started. There is a key date of 6th April 2024 in the transfer process to HSE - if the works have ‘sufficiently progressed’ by 6th April 2024 the building control will benefit from ‘transitional arrangements’. If there is not ‘sufficient progress’ made by 6th April 2024 it is likely, due to the transfer to HSE, that the works will not start until the summer.

Those apartments scheduled for 17th - 19th were cancelled, whilst options were considered and discussions took place with Redrow.

A brand new replacement light is now being sourced, and paid for by the contractors - for all external apartment lights, including those 18 refitted earlier this month.

A number of questions have been asked about the EWS1 form - as previously stated once all the external works have been completed and all the documentation provided to the fire consultants, DFC, a new EWS1 rating will be issued - this is currently taking DFC about 6 weeks from receipt of the information on other sites. On that basis we would expect the EWS1 to be issued in approximately May/June 2024.

Updated 28/1/24

The external cladding works continue on several areas of W3, primarily the South East corner - from Sainbsury's door to the roof terrace, the 'fins' between balconies, and areas that can only be addressed as the scaffolding drops, and the area by the canal path steps.

Longworth have confirmed the scaffold removal plan issued prior to Christmas remains the current plan - all the courtyard scaffold, the Ritz end of Whitworth Street West (5 layers remaining), and the area up to and including the central copper cladding area on Whitworth Street West (10 layers remaining) should therefore all be removed by 7th February if they are on track.

The monthly programme meeting on 30th January will confirm the next section to be removed.

Alongside the main works, a number of ’snagging’ issues are now being worked on - including the external balcony and terrace lights. Some of these lights were refitted before this task was paused, after the practicalities of refitting a 23 year old light were realised. A proposal has been given to Redrow, by Longworth, and we await the outcome.

The draft internal Fire Safety report FRC5711 51 Whitworth Street Manchester M1 5EB - FRA2.pdf has been reviewed by Redrow, and a number of factual errors passed back before the document is reissued. The ‘building control’ role for such works is in the process of moving to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - this may have an impact on when the internal works can be started. There is a key date of 6th April 2024 in the transfer process to HSE - if the works have ‘sufficiently progressed’ by 6th April 2024 the building control will benefit from ‘transitional arrangements’. If there is not ‘sufficient progress’ made by 6th April 2024 it is likely, due to the transfer to HSE, that the works will not start until the summer.

In an attempt to start these internal works as soon as possible Redrow have asked two contractors to provide quotes by the end of last week. Discussions are also taking place regarding the previous internal compartmentation works and fire door remediations commissioned by the previous Managing Agents - R&R, to identify which of those works, if any, have been remediated to the correct standard, along with which of the issues identified in the report should be classed as ‘maintenance’ and which were original build issues.

It is thought the chances of meeting the 6th April deadline for internal works are small but every effort is being made to do so.

The next programme meeting is scheduled for 30th January, when an update on the expected end date on site will be given.

Updated 5/1/24

Longworth have now returned to site after the break, and the scaffolders will return to site early next week.

There are several areas of the building where cladding works are still ongoing, primarily the South East corner - from Sainbsury's door to the roof terrace, the 'fins' between balconies, and areas that can only be addressed as the scaffolding drops.

The scaffolders will focus on two areas next week, grid lines 11-13.5 (above the carpark entrance and front door) and grid lines S2 - E3 - the service yard and Ritz passage - allowing the cladding team to undertake the works necessary in those areas as the scaffolding drops.

There are no plans for overnight working next week, although some overnight works will be required in the future.

The next programme meeting is scheduled for 30th January, when an update on the expected end date on site will be given.

For the internal report that was issued prior to Christmas, Redrow are engaging with the assessors prior to determining a full action plan to satisfy PAS9980 requirements.

Updated 20/12/23

The internal FRA report has been received and can be seen here FRC5711 51 Whitworth Street Manchester M1 5EB - FRA2.pdf

In recent days the W3 Board have been told by a leaseholder they have 'caused concern and worry when is wasn’t necessary' so we will not make any comment on the report or on any actions that may take place.

If/when an updated report is issued we will post a copy here.

Updated 14/12/23

OVERNIGHT WORKING Two nights of overnight working have taken place, with one more planned for this evening, 14th December. The overnight working is to remove the lowest level of scaffolding from outside Manchester Apartments and part of Whitworth Street West - giving a very visible sign that the external remediation works are getting closer to completion. Thank you for everyone's co-operation and understanding with the occasional overnight working that is necessary.

The scaffolders will also be dismantling a little more scaffolding early next week, before stopping for their Christmas break on Tuesday 19th December. They are scheduled to return to site on Monday 8th January.

Longworth, the main contractors will stop for their Christmas break on 22nd December and return on 4th January.

Whilst there are significant areas of the building that are completed, there are still several areas of the building where remediation works are still to be finished, such as the 'fins', including the one by the canal path steps, the copper in the garden area up to floor 11 and around the lift shaft, the South East corner from Sainsbury's door up to the turret, and the low level spandrel panels that can only be accessed once the scaffolding in that area has been removed.

The published plan remains as per the link below, with an end of April completion date for the external works, but at this week's project meeting it was thought the actual completion date on site could be earlier by a couple of weeks. This will probably mean that W3 will be the 2nd building in the Redrow remediation portfolio to have its external works completed.

Once all the works have been completed and all the documentation provided to the fire consultants, DFC, a new EWS1 rating will be issued - this is currently taking DFC about 6 weeks from receipt of the information on other sites. On that basis we would expect the EWS1 to be issued in approximately May/June 2024.

The internal report has not been received and is being chased by Redrow. This report follows the 5 day internal survey carried out in September and will highlight those internal communal areas that need further remediation works carried out. Only when that report is received can a timeline be established for the completion of those works.

The letter issued by Redrow and issued to W3 in January 2023 Man Co Contact 300123 - Whitworth West.pdf has an out of date end date. If any leaseholders are looking to remortgage and/or sell their property and would like Redrow to issue them a revised letter please contact w3liaison@gmail.com

Updated 12/12/23

OVERNIGHT WORKING

The street level sections of scaffolding cannot be dismantled during normal daytime working due to the number of pedestrians walking by. There are now two sections where there is only the street level left to dismantle and these will be removed overnight this week.

The scaffolders will be commencing with their strip of the scaffold sections to ground on Oxford Road and Whitworth Street this evening 12/12/23. The works will commence on Oxford Road tonight with the target to having it complete in one hit. They will then move around to the Whitworth Street section where there is just the one layer left to dismantle, and complete this over two nights 13/12/23 and 14/12/23

As the works will be taking place between the hours of 11:00pm – 06:00am Longworth have prohibited the use of power tools and only hand tools will be utilised in an effort to minimise noise generated.

Tuesday/Wednesday – 11:00- 06:00 Oxford Road

Wednesday/Thursday – 11:00 – 06:00 Whitworth Street

Thursday/Friday – 11:00 – 06:00 Whitworth Street

The current end date for the external works is end of April 2024 although as detailed above the works are currently ahead of that plan by about 1 week.

Updated 06/12/23

Progress is now being measured against the revised plan issued on 20th November (link below).

The scaffolding drop plan has not changed but this is a marked up plan showing progress building plan scaffold drop dates WC 27-11-23 copy.pdf

This shows section A completed, apart from 3 levels on Oxford St to allow spandrel works to be completed

Section B is completed

Section C started 4 days early, with the central section only having 6 floors left and progress made on the other parts of Section C. It is expected that by the time the scaffolders break for Christmas Section C will be well ahead of schedule.

Abseilers will visit site to fill in the holes left in the brick work where the scaffolding was tied to the building.

The scaffolders are due to break for Christmas from 17th December until 8th January and the revised plan takes this break into account.

Longworth Christmas break is from 22nd December until 4th January.

Building Control have confirmed that the private decking in the garden area can now be ‘put back’ using the same materials - this will be undertaken by Longworth.

The external lights on floors 8 and 9 were expected to have been reinstalled by now, but this is still outstanding.

Following the internal fire risk assessment a few weeks ago, we expect the report back within the next week or 2, this will then allow an internal remediation plan to be created with Redrow.

The current end date for the external works is end of April 2024 although as detailed above the works are currently ahead of that plan.

Updated 30/11/23

Progress is now being measured against the revised plan issued on 20th November (link below).

The plan is based on having 10 scaffolders on site per day. In recent days there have been more, and therefore, after 2 weeks, the scaffolding take down is slightly ahead of schedule

Using building plan scaffold drop dates copy.jpg. as a reference...

Section A Canal path completed, Oxford St is down to level 2 to allow access to the soffits.

Section B Canal path completed

Section C from Grid lines 2 - 11 started on 28/11/23 - 4 days early and is using a large platform lift on Whitworth Street to assist the scaffold drop.

Abseilers will visit site to fill in the holes left in the brick work where the scaffolding was tied to the building.

The scaffolders are due to break for Christmas from 17th December until 8th January and the revised plan takes this break into account.

Longworth Christmas break is from 22nd December until 4th January.

The W3 Garden Maintenance contractor visited W3 last week and is now agreeing the scope and costs for the ‘put back’ work required in 2024

Building Control have confirmed that the private decking in the garden area can now be ‘put back’ using the same materials - this will be undertaken by Longworth.

The external lights on floors 8 and 9 were expected to have been reinstalled bu now, this is still outstanding.

Following the internal fire risk assessment a few weeks ago, we expect the report back within the next week or 2, this will then allow an internal remediation plan to be created with Redrow.

The current end date for the external works is end of April 2024. 

Updated 24/11/23

The revised programme plan has been issued and can be seen via the link below. This latest plan shows a completion date of the end of April 2024.

In addition, a scaffolding drop plan has also been issued, giving a simplified view of the dates. This drop plan can be seen here building plan scaffold drop dates copy.jpg. Once the scaffolding has all been removed there is still work to complete on site, including the spandrels on the ground floor. The key dates for the scaffold drop are :-

East garden, East canal path, North end of Oxford Street, West Canal path - all of which are well underway - to be completed by 1st December.

Ritz passage, service yard, and Whitworth Street West from the Ritz to just beyond the main entrance dropping from 4th December to 7th February (there is a pause for Christmas )

The remainder of Whitworth Street West, Sainsbury’s and the South part of Oxford Street dropping from 8th February to 13th March.

The central garden area dropping from 14th March to 29th March.

It is important that any outstanding issues are raised by emailing w3liaison@gmail.com so these can be raised with the site managers - can apartment owners please make sure their agents and/or tenants are aware of this.

A further remediation plan is now in place to address the scaffold tie ‘holes’ that were left in the brickwork. These will be filled with a red silicone, with a good colour match. The yellow stone will be filled with a mortar that contains crushed stone of the same colour. To address the areas in the garden area where this did not happen it is planned to use abseilers to fill the holes.

The W3 Management Company have escalated a number of recent issues with Redrow, due to an apparent lack of ownership. In turn Redrow have raised at Director level with the contractors. We will contact the specific apartments involved with more detail.

The current end date for the external works is end of April 2024. 

For practical reasons, the delay to completing the outside works is likely to delay the start of the internal works. The internal survey has been completed and the results due back before the end of the year.

Updated 17/11/23

A revised programme plan will be issued w/c 20th November and will be available on this page.

The pictures above show that significant amounts of scaffolding removal have taken place, however the resource constraints with the scaffolding contractor is making this slower than was previously planned. The new plan is expected to give a realistic end date for the building.

The focus of the scaffolding removal at the moment is the North and West Ritz end, along with the North and East Oxford St end. The next sections to drop will be the Whitworth St West section from the front door to the Ritz and the service yard. The final sections of scaffolding to be dropped will be Whitworth Street West from the front door to the end of Sainsbury’s on Oxford St and the central section in the garden.

A further remediation plan is now in place to address the scaffold tie ‘holes’ that were left in some areas of the brickwork. These will be filled with a red silicone, with a good colour match. The yellow stone will be filled with a mortar that contains crushed stone of the same colour. To address the areas in the garden area where this did not happen it is planned to use abseilers to fill the holes.

The current end date for the external works is to be confirmed but no earlier than mid April 2024. 

Updated 16/11/23

The last monthly progress meeting was held on 31st October. It was expected that a new programme plan would be issued later that week, however, for reasons mentioned in the last update this has still not been issued. This has since been escalated to Redrow.

Challenges with the scaffolding plan remain and are still being worked through between Longworth and Crest - whilst no revised plan has been issued the ‘earliest completion date’ will now be mid April 2024.

Thanks to the vigilance of one owner, the W3 Management Company have escalated the way that scaffold ties have been left on the building. This was raised on the W3's behalf by Redrow and we are awaiting a remediation plan from the cladding contractors.

The repairs to the 6th and 9th floor pasterboard wall in the east stairwell, caused by the contractors are due to be completed this week.

The garden maintenance company normally used by W3 are meeting Longworth next week to agree the scope and costs of the ‘put back’ works.

The electricians are onsite next week to reattach the external 8th and 9th floor lights - this will not require access to apartments, but access will be required to power them up at a later date.

It has been confirmed that the original wooden privacy screens between apartments in the garden area will be reinstated. We still have the outstanding question of how much of the private decking will be replaced by non combustable materials.

It is possible that the issues with the scaffolding plan may mean that some of the carpark propping spaces in the ‘central stairwell’ area may be needed for propping into the new year. This would involved an extension to the agreements and arrangements in place, but will be confirmed in the next few weeks. The propping in the other garden areas is due to be cleared by the end of the year.

 As the works will now extend into 2024, there will be a shutdown period over Christmas and New Year - this will be from 22nd December until 4th January for cladding works and from 17th December until 8th January for scaffolding works.

The current end date for the external works is to be confirmed but no earlier than mid April 2024. 

Updated 08/11/23

The last monthly progress meeting was held on 31st October. It was expected that a new programme plan would be issued later that week, however that has currently not yet been received.

There is good progress being made with the cladding remediation works, more detail below, although some supply chain challenges still remain. The main issue facing the overall programme is the removal of the scaffolding. We have been made aware over recent months that scaffolding and scaffolders are in high demand at the moment with the number of cladding remediation projects needed - indeed some of the Redrow developed properties cannot start their remediation works until 2025 due to these constraints.

The Longworth plan to achieve completion by February 2024 requires 20 scaffolders on site every day. In recent days and weeks there have been an average of 10 scaffolders. Director level conversations between Longworth and their subcontractor Crest Scaffolding have been taking place, and in the last few days this has been escalated to Redrow. Whitworth West Management Company have taken out additional insurance cover for the building works - with the premium paid for by Redrow. This extra cover was extended from 23/12/23 until 16/2/24. Following the discussions with Longworth, Redrow have now requested this is further extended, and whilst no revised cladding programme has been issued following last week's meeting, the W3 Board are looking to extend this additional cover until the end of the ‘normal’ insurance cover period- 30th June 2024. At this time the ‘best case’ end date discussed between Longworth, Thomasons and Redrow is April 2024 - however until a revised programme plan is issued we have no specific date to share at this time.

In terms of cladding progress - Aluminium cladding in the North West corner is reported as 85% complete (some panels can only be installed as the scaffolding comes down), in the South West corner 70% complete, 70% complete in the garden area against the central stairwell, the South East corner (above Sainsburys’ door) is 70% completed and the North East corner 99% complete.

Copper cladding above the front door 75% complete, 70% completed in the garden area from levels 1 to 7. In the Sainsbury's front door area the decking layer below the copper is 85% complete, up to level 7, but no significant new copper in place yet in that area.

For the ‘piers and fins’ (the 8 parts of the building where a small fin protrudes between adjacent apartments and the works around balconies), the North East corner fin (beside the canal path) is the most advanced, with 80% of the aluminium installed. The North West fin is now begining the aluminium installation. The 4 South facing piers are between 65% and 90% completed on the spandrel panels above the windows and balconies, with work yet to start on the fins, and less advanced on the two East facing piers.

Garden high level scaffold removal, progressing well, and whilst the overall scaffolding removal is a challenge, it is clearly happening in this area and completed in the West side.

Where areas of private wooden decking have been removed to allow the garden scaffolding to sit on the concrete slab below, this will be replaced by a non combustible alternative. There are ongoing discussions about whether all the private decking should be replaced or just those sections removed. In addition the privacy dividing screens will be reinstated in this private decking area.

The terrace and balcony lights on the 8th and 9th floors will be reinstalled prior to Christmas, but this will need access to each of those apartments again- once the proposed electrician dates are known this will be communicated and co-ordinated. In addition the metal privacy screens on the 9th floor will be reinstated.

Updated 08/11/23

The last monthly progress meeting was held on 31st October. It was expected that a new programme plan would be issued later that week, however that has currently not yet been received.

There is good progress being made with the cladding remediation works, more detail below, although some supply chain challenges still remain. The main issue facing the overall programme is the removal of the scaffolding. We have been made aware over recent months that scaffolding and scaffolders are in high demand at the moment with the number of cladding remediation projects needed - indeed some of the Redrow developed properties cannot start their remediation works until 2025 due to these constraints.

The Longworth plan to achieve completion by February 2024 requires 20 scaffolders on site every day. In recent days and weeks there have been an average of 10 scaffolders. Director level conversations between Longworth and their subcontractor Crest Scaffolding have been taking place, and in the last few days this has been escalated to Redrow. Whitworth West Management Company have taken out additional insurance cover for the building works - with the premium paid for by Redrow. This extra cover was extended from 23/12/23 until 16/2/24. Following the discussions with Longworth, Redrow have now requested this is further extended, and whilst no revised cladding programme has been issued following last week's meeting, the W3 Board are looking to extend this additional cover until the end of the ‘normal’ insurance cover period- 30th June 2024. At this time the ‘best case’ end date discussed between Longworth, Thomasons and Redrow is April 2024 - however until a revised programme plan is issued we have no specific date to share at this time.

In terms of cladding progress - Aluminium cladding in the North West corner is reported as 85% complete (some panels can only be installed as the scaffolding comes down), in the South West corner 70% complete, 70% complete in the garden area against the central stairwell, the South East corner (above Sainsburys’ door) is 70% completed and the North East corner 99% complete.

Copper cladding above the front door 75% complete, 70% completed in the garden area from levels 1 to 7. In the Sainsbury's front door area the decking layer below the copper is 85% complete, up to level 7, but no significant new copper in place yet in that area.

For the ‘piers and fins’ (the 8 parts of the building where a small fin protrudes between adjacent apartments and the works around balconies), the North East corner fin (beside the canal path) is the most advanced, with 80% of the aluminium installed. The North West fin is now begining the aluminium installation. The 4 South facing piers are between 65% and 90% completed on the spandrel panels above the windows and balconies, with work yet to start on the fins, and less advanced on the two East facing piers.

Garden high level scaffold removal, progressing well, and whilst the overall scaffolding removal is a challenge, it is clearly happening in this area and completed in the West side.

Where areas of private wooden decking have been removed to allow the garden scaffolding to sit on the concrete slab below, this will be replaced by a non combustible alternative. There are ongoing discussions about whether all the private decking should be replaced or just those sections removed. In addition the privacy dividing screens will be reinstated in this private decking area.

The terrace and balcony lights on the 8th and 9th floors will be reinstalled prior to Christmas, but this will need access to each of those apartments again- once the proposed electrician dates are known this will be communicated and co-ordinated. In addition the metal privacy screens on the 9th floor will be reinstated.

In the carpark, as the garden scaffolding comes down the propping on both levels of the carpark can be removed. It is expected that all propping spaces will be returned to normal use by the end of the year, in line with the individual agreements in place with Longworth. A small number of spaces for Longworth use and the welfare unit are expected to be required until February.

There will be a need for more overnight working, around the Sainsbury’s front door area. This will take place in the New Year and dates will be shared once they are known.

As the works will now extend into 2024, there will be a shutdown period over Christmas and New Year - this will be from 22nd December until 4th January for cladding works and from 17th December until 8th January for scaffolding works.

The current end date for the external works is to be confirmed but no earlier than April 2024.

For practical reasons, the delay to completing the outside works is likely to delay the start of the internal works. The internal survey has been completed and the results due back before the end of the year.

Updated 26/10/23

Whilst small sections of scaffolding have been removed so far, we now see major sections of the scaffolding starting to be taken down- the west side of the garden area first. There is still a significant amount of remediation work to complete, but this represents another key milestone in the overall project.

As the project passes this milestone some focus turns to areas that need to be returned to how they were prior to the works commencing. The contractor who normally maintains the W3 garden took photos before the works commenced and is now being engaged by the cladding contractor to arrange for the replanting of the garden. We expect the ‘make good’ planting work will not start until the New Year, and to take several months to complete due to the specific planting seasons for the plants and shrubs.

Where areas of private wooden decking have been removed to allow the garden scaffolding to sit on the concrete slab below, this will be replaced by a non combustible alternative. There are ongoing discussions about whether all the private decking should be replaced or just those sections removed. In addition the privacy dividing screens will be reinstated in this private decking area.

The Whitworth West Management Company are planning a deep clean of the graffiti, along with anti graffiti paint that makes it easier to remove any future reccurrence - this will be carried out outside the cladding project but is being aligned with the final completion of all external works.

The terrace and balcony lights on the 8th and 9th floors will be reinstalled prior to Christmas, but this will need access to each of those apartments again- once the proposed electrician dates are known this will be communicated and co-ordinated. In addition the metal privacy screens on the 9th floor will be reinstated.

In the carpark, as the garden scaffolding comes down the propping on both levels of the carpark can be removed. It is expected that all propping spaces will be returned to normal use by the end of the year, in line with the individual agreements in place with Longworth. A small number of spaces for Longworth use and the welfare unit are expected to be required until February.

There will be a need for more overnight working, around the Sainsbury’s front door area. This will take place in the New Year and dates will be shared once they are known.

The roofing contractor, working for the new Managing Agent (CPM), not R&R, has again been on site this week, in-between the periods of wet weather, and further progress has been made to remediate these areas.

As the works will now extend into 2024, there will be a shutdown period over Christmas and New Year - this will be from 22nd December until 4th January.

The current end date for the external works is mid February 2024.

For practical reasons, the delay to completing the outside works is likely to delay the start of the internal works. The internal survey has been completed and the results due back before the end of the year.

Updated 19/10/23

In recent weeks R&R have been asked to find a contractor to undertake maintenance on the 9 flat roofs, to take advantage of the easier access whilst the scaffold is in place. Unfortunately R&R have been unable to find a contractor to do the works. The W3 Management Company Directors have approached the new agent, who take over from R&R in the coming weeks, and they agreed to undertake this work using one of their contractors. Work on these roofs commenced this week and as much as possible will be achieved whilst the scaffold is in place and the weather permits.

Significant scaffolding removal is expected to commence w/c 23rd October or w/c 30th October in the West courtyard and the following week in the East Courtyard. This is not the sequence that was originally planned, however a recent delivery of 'made to measure' parts has been received on site at the wrong size and are having to be made again - therefore adjustments to the sequencing are being made to accommodate.

Weekend working this coming weekend will focus on completing the membrane that sits behind the copper cladding above the front door - where the copper panels are up to level 6/7. In the garden area the copper is now up to level 3/4.

As can be seen in the selection of photos above, where the scaffolding is 'tied' to the building the panels, copper and aluminium, have to be installed as the scaffold comes down.

Above the Sainsbury's front door the white decking is being worked on around level 5/6, needing to go to the very top of the roof garden.

The delay to the original plan is also delaying the releasing of the carpark spaces that are currently being used for propping up the garden scaffolding and the welfare unit. It is expected that all the propping spaces are returned this year, and a more precise timeline will become available in the next few weeks.

As the works will now extend into 2024, there will be a shutdown period over Christmas and New Year - this will be from 22nd December until 4th January.

The current end date for the external works is mid February 2024.

For practical reasons, the delay to completing the outside works is likely to delay the start of the internal works. The internal survey has been completed and the results due back before the end of the year.

Updated 13/10/23

The extension to the insurance cover, to reflect the change in end date, has been provided via R&R, despire R&R previously refusing to arrange it. This will now ensure there is no pause in the remediation works when the original cover expires on 23/12/23

A skeleton scaffolding crew remain on site for making scaffold adjustments and removing some of the upper elements.

Significant scaffolding removal is expected to commence w/c 23rd October in the West courtyard and the following week in the East Courtyard

In the Ritz phase - the most advanced in terms of new cladding in place, the corners and cappings have now been delivered. In the central phase, above the main entrance the white decking is virtually completed and the new green copper cladding can be seen rising halfway up the building. The green copper cladding is also visible in the garden area as it is installed from the ground up - currently around level 3. Above the Sainsbury's door the white decking is reaching the upper levels, having had to wait for some of the breeze blocks to have mortar put in place - they were simply loose.

The 6 curtain walls (balcony sections) are all in various states of remediation, working from the top down, and aligned with the plan to take down the scaffolding. Whilst this is leaving some materials on balconies, this is the alternative approach to removing balconies, or removing access to the balconies for the duration of the works. The balconies will be tidied up.

A small number of glass spandrels have been delivered to site damaged and are having to be remade - 4 week lead time.

As the works will now extend into 2024, there will be a shutdown period over Christmas and New Year - this will be from 22nd December until 4th January.

The current end date for the external works is mid February 2024.

For practical reasons, the delay to completing the outside works is likely to delay the start of the internal works. The internal survey has been completed and the results due back before the end of the year.

Updated 27/9/23

The updates from the monthly progress meeting are:-

On a very positive note, and in small quantities initially, the first upper sections of scaffolding are starting to be removed – there is a long way to go for all the scaffolding to be finally removed but this is the start.

West Phase - good progress in most areas of this phase - the main outstanding section is the aluminium panels in the South West corner and awaiting a delivery date for the remaining components (corners and cappings). There is currently a 2-3 week lead time for these materials.

Garden Phase - all spandrel panels are completed, one corner must be remade as it arrived with the wrong dimensions. Aluminium panels installed from level 8 down to level 2. The decking is mostly in place for installation of copper panels to begin.

Whitworth Street Phase - copper above the front door in place up to level 3, with the decking work on the higher levels.

Sainsbury’s phase - the preparation of the wall for copper is up to level 4, no decking is in place yet. An issue identified in this phase is where breeze blocks are in place with no mortar - the blocks are simply sat loose, previously only kept in place by the cladding. To allow for a solid wall to attach the new fixing brackets and fire barriers to this has to have new mortar put in place followed by time to dry.

A new programme plan is being finalised and will be issued shortly by the contractors. However it is recognised that the target completion date of December 2023 cannot now be achieved. A combination of uncovering several previously unknown original build defects which require fixing, scaffolding resource constraints and supply chain delays is leading to a new end date for all external works of mid-February 2024. This includes the phase 4 works, at street level, which can only begin once the scaffolding is removed.

Redrow, the original developers of W3, have in excess of 100 buildings like ours to remediate. Of all those buildings, only 4 have had any works started to remediate cladding issues – with W3 being one of those 4, having started on site 7 months ago. So whilst the delay will not be welcomed by anyone, W3 will be finished significantly earlier than the vast majority of other buildings in their portfolio.

For practical reasons, the delay to completing the outside works is likely to delay the start of the internal works.
The internal survey commenced this week, with the surveyor acting on behalf of Redrow being accompanied by a surveyor and architect acting on behalf of Laing O’Rourke - the original builder. The survey is due to be completed on Friday. We are scheduled to receive the report at the end of November, but the current demand for these reports in the UK is leading to a general delay of a few weeks which may mean it is early 2024 before we know the full requirement for internal remediations.

Updated 22/9/23

Weekend Working - to achieve the target end date of Christmas 2023, or as soon as possible afterwards there will be regular weekend working from now on.

The significant amount of activity taking place around the building is often hard to spot with much of it being behind the netting. The new copper cladding can be easily seen above the front door when looking from the reception area - the copper cladding is installed from the bottom up, and is now working its way to the top in that part of the building. The new aluminium cladding is best seen from the garden area, looking at the central staircase wall - with gaps in the new cladding where the scaffolding is tied to the building. The 'fins' around the building were all constructed in a different way and a totally new design has had to be devised. A new fin being constructed is best seen above the canal path steps on Oxford St. New spandrel panels continue to be installed in various locations around the building, predominantly on the upper floors first to align with the scaffolding removal plan.

The internal survey was due to commence on Thursday - this has now been put back to Monday 25th .

The next monthly programme review meeting is September 26th, with W3, Longworth, Thomasons and Redrow at which time the end date for the external works will be reviewed.

Updated 14/9/23

Weekend Working - to achieve the target end date of Christmas 2023, or as soon as possible afterwards there will be regular weekend working from now on. There will be around 10 contractors working on site this Saturday from approx 8 - 3.

There are now regularly more than 30 contractor personnel on site, working on differant sections around the building. As the old cladding has been removed a number of 'issues' with the original build have been identified - these include the missing EPDM window seals, wrongly fitted guttering, poor window fixings and loose breeze blocks. Whilst non of these issues are directly inscope of the cladding remediation works, the works being carried out by Longworth come with a warrenty which in turn necessitates these original build defects be rectified, to avoid their own warranty being invalid.

The costs for these additional remediations will be covered by Redrow, but each one has an impact on the overall timescales for the project.

Significant areas of new aluminium cladding are now in place, and much of the copper area is now covered in the white trapezoidal decking - easiest to see in the garden area or above the front door as you exit the building. The final membrane and new copper cladding panels will soon be fixed to the decking - working from bottom up, overlapping each panel as the pattern progresses.

New spandrel panels continue to be installed in various locations around the building, predominantly on the upper floors first to align with the scaffolding removal plan.

The separate roof maintenance works contractor has supplied the requested information to the cladding contractors and commenced the repairs to the 9th floor roof. The maintenance needed to the 7 flat roof piers at level 8 will be scheduled to coincide with the dropping of the scaffolding, however we are still awaiting cost for this work before final approval can be given. This will allow the fastest and most cost effective approach to be adopted for the maintenance.

The internal survey commences next Thursday - 21st September, and is scheduled to last until 29th September. The results from the survey, detailing what internal fire safety remediations are required will be issued in late November. The duration of the internal works, and the cost apportionment between Redrow and Service Charge will be determined from December onwards.

The next monthly programme review meeting is September 26th, with W3, Longworth, Thomasons and Redrow at which time the end date for the external works will be reviewed.

Updated 8/9/23

Weekend Working - to achieve the target end date of Christmas 2023, or as soon as possible afterwards there will be regular weekend working from now on. There will be contractors working on site this weekend.

All the old cladding has now been removed from W3, with the very small exceptions of where scaffolding adjustments have to be made to allow access. Some of the material behind the old cladding has still to be removed and taken off site.

Significant areas of new cladding in the Ritz phase are now completed, except where the scaffolding is tied to the building, these panels will be put in place as the scaffolding drops.

New spandrel panels are being installed in various locations around the building, predominantly on the upper floors first to align with the scaffolding removal plan.

After 7 months on site work is progressing well, although it is very tight to achieve the end of year completion timeline. At the last monthly project it was reported that the current works are approx 1-2 weeks behind the PP07 plan.

The separate roof maintenance works contractor has supplied the requested information to the cladding contractors and been instructed to carry out the repairs to the 9th floor roof. The maintenance needed to the 7 flat roof piers at level 8 will be scheduled to coincide with the dropping of the scaffolding. This will allow the fastest and most cost effective approach to be adopted for the maintenance.

Garden area replanting

Once the garden area is completed, the company who maintain the garden for W3 will be asked to reinstate the garden to how it looked prior to the works, but with new plants that are less mature. This work will take place over a period of time, allowing the planting to take place at the right time of the year, rather than in the middle of winter.

Updated 1/9/23

Unauthorised access to the scaffolding

A number of issues have been identified by the cladding remediation contractors indicating that some residents have been accessing the scaffolding. These include:- empty beer cans, a sparkling wine bottle, tennis balls, dog excrement…. all found on the scaffold decking. Three water fire extinguishers emptied in the last week and spandrel panels moved and smashed - having to now be remade.

The motion detectors on the lower access points around the scaffolding have not identified any intruders from ground level, indicating these issues are resulting from residents accessing the scaffolding from balconies or terraces.

Until now, access has been maintained to terraces and balconies but the irresponsible stupidity of a few individuals may require that decision to be reassessed, meaning that doors leading to apartment balconies and terraces may be prevented from opening.

The contractors have installed additional CCTV cameras and are very clear that they will prosecute every unauthorised person on the balcony. Additionally the Management Company will also look to apartment owners to act upon such a breach of health and safety, and request that they immediately terminate the tenancy agreements of those involved. We will also report any confirmed cases to the Freeholder as a possible breach of lease.

If anyone sees any suspected unauthorised access to the scaffolding, please take photographs or videos if safe to do so, contact the concierge immediately and forward any images/videos to W3liaison@gmail.com

Weekend Working - to achieve the target end date of Christmas 2023, or as soon as possible afterwards there will be regular weekend working from now on. There will be contractors working on site this weekend.

At the monthly project meeting this week it was reported that the current works are approx 1-2 weeks behind the PP07 plan, which after 7 months of work on site and the number of unknowns at the start of the project is seen as a good position to be in.

As each part of the building has been exposed, with the external cladding removed, the reality behind the cladding has not matched the site drawings or expectations - for example the 'fins' where pairs of balconies protrude along Whithworth Street West and Oxford Street have all had a different design behind the cladding, each one in turn needing a different remediation design, followed by a fire safety approval of the design, and materials procured. As virtually all of the old cladding has now been removed there are no new 'surprises' exepcted, but there are some outstanding designs awaiting approval and procurement.

Ongoing discussions with Manchester City Council may allow for scaffolding to be dismantled during the council embargo period from mid November to the year end - this would help with achieving an earlier completion date. The additional insurance cover for the building works, paid for by Redrow, expires on 22nd December 2023. Given the amount of time required for the R&R insurance team to secure this cover, and to avoid challenges in December if the works are not completed, an additional 8 week extension has been requested by Longworth / Redrow to R&R, to be funded by Redrow.

The separate roof maintenance works contractor has supplied the requested information to the cladding contractors and we await approval from Longworth for them to carry out the works.

The earliest date in the plan for the start of dismantling of scaffolding is mid October. The canal path permit expires on October 13th, therefore Longworth have had discussions with the Canal and Rivers Trust on a short extension.

This week, notice was served to Rendall and Rittner (R&R) as the managing agents for W3. Within the 3 months notice period it is business as usual, before handover to a new agent. Since the remedation works started on W3, R&R have had no involvement in the project, with the liaison role being provided independantly of R&R and therefore the change to managing agent will have no impact to the cladding remediation project or timescales.

Each of the three phases now has cladding work in progress, with installing of new cladding in the Ritz phase, preparation / installation work in the central phase and cladding removal / preparation in the Sainsbury's phase. In addition spandrel works are taking place around the building.

Based on the last contractor update :-

Ritz phase North West Corner
Aluminium Strip 100%
Rail and Fire Barrier Instalment 100%
EPDM 100%
Panel Instalment 45%

Ritz phase South West Corner
Aluminium Strip 100%
Rail and Fire Barrier Instalment 100%
EPDM100%

Central phase - Whitworth West side
Scaffolding 100%
Copper Cladding Strip 98%
Copper cladding Rail and fire barrier Instalment 90%
Copper head, cill and soffit 40%

Garden Courtyard
Scaffolding 100%
Copper Strip100%
Aluminium Strip 100%
Aluminium Substrate set up 25%
Copper Substrate 50%

Sainsbury's phase
Scaffolding 98%
South East Copper elevation strip 70%
South East Aluminium panel strip 85%
North East Aluminium strip 65%

Those apartments with either a private terrace or access to the 9th floor external walkway have been asked to remove all furniture, tables and chairs etc. to allow the cladding team full access to those areas.

Garden area replanting
Once the garden area is completed, the company who maintain the garden for W3 will be asked to reinstate the garden to how it looked prior to the works, but with new plants that are less mature. This work will take place over a period of time, allowing the planting to take place at the right time of the year, rather than in the middle of winter.

Updated 25/08/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there will be no working on site this weekend.

The latest plan issued ( PP07 Target programme.pdf) still achieves a completion date by the end of the year, but is recognised by all involved to be a challenging plan. Ongoing discussions with Manchester City Council may allow for scaffolding to be dismantled during the council embargo period from mid November to the year end - this would help with achieving an earlier completion date. The additional insurance cover for the building works, paid for by Redrow, expires on 22nd December 2023. Given the amount of time required for the R&R insurance team to secure this cover, and to avoid challenges in December if the works are not completed, an additional 2 months' extension has been requested by Longworth / Redrow to R&R, to be funded by Redrow.

A number of maintenance issues have been identified by the Whitworth West Management Company relating to areas of the W3 roof and whilst these are unrelated to the cladding works, the feasibility of using the scaffolding that is in place to facilitate the roof remediations works is being explored with Longworth and Redrow, via R&R - this would allow the repairs to be carried out quicker.

The earliest date in this plan for the start of dismantling of scaffolding is mid October.

Each of the three phases now has cladding work in progress, with installing of new cladding in the Ritz phase, preparation / installation work in the central phase and cladding removal / preparation in the Sainsbury's phase. In addition spandrel works are taking place around the building.

Based on the last contractor update :-

Ritz phase

Scaffolding 100%.
Rail instalment 98%
Fire Barrier instalment 98%
EPDM to Windows and curtain walling 100%
Installation of aluminium panels 25%

Central phase - Whitworth West side

Scaffolding 100%
Copper Cladding Strip 98%
Copper cladding Rail and fire barrier Instalment 90%
Copper head, cill and soffit 25%

Garden Courtyard

Scaffolding 95%
Copper Strip100%
Aluminium Strip 100%
Aluminium Substrate set up 15%
Copper Substrate 5%

Sainsbury's phase

Scaffolding 98%
South East Copper elevation strip 60%
South East Aluminium panel strip 70%
North East Aluminium strip 50%

Those apartments with either a private terrace or access to the 9th floor external walkway have been asked to remove all furniture, tables and chairs etc. to allow the cladding team full access to those areas.

Garden area replanting

Once the garden area is completed, the company who maintain the garden for W3 will be asked to reinstate the garden to how it looked prior to the works, but with new plants that are less mature. This work will take place over a period of time, allowing the planting to take place at the right time of the year, rather than in the middle of winter.

Updated 18/08/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there will be colleagues on site on Saturday 19th working on the main entrance.

A revised full programme plan was issued this week by Thomasons / Longworth and can be seen here PP07 Target programme.pdf

On the West elevation the dates haven’t changed. Longworth have made some amendments and added dates in for the correspondence/changes/design where applicable. Longworth have noted that they will issue further commentary at the end of the September programme meeting, if the end date on PP07 is achievable. Longworth have noted they are using their best endeavours to achieve this date.

This includes finalisation of design & securing material orders and deliveries, so that additional labour can be brought to site.

The earliest date in this plan for the start of dismantling of scaffolding is mid October.

Each of the three phases now has cladding work in progress, with installing of new cladding in the Ritz phase, preparation / installation work in the central phase and cladding removal / preparation in the Sainsbury's phase. In addition spandrel works is taking place around the building.

Ritz phase

Scaffolding 100%.

Rail instalment 98%

Fire Barrier instalment 98%

EPDM to Windows and curtain walling 100%

Installation of aluminium panels 25%

Central phase - Whitworth West side

Scaffolding 100%

Copper Cladding Strip 98%

Copper cladding Rail and fire barrier Instalment 90%

Copper head, cill and soffit 25%

Garden Courtyard

Scaffolding 95%

Copper Strip100%

Aluminium Strip 100%

Aluminium Substrate set up 15%

Copper Substrate 5%

Sainsbury's phase

Scaffolding 98%

South East Copper elevation strip 60%

South East Aluminium panel strip 70%

North East Aluminium strip 50%

Those apartments with either a private terrace or access to the 9th floor external walkway have been asked to remove all furniture, tables and chairs etc. to allow the cladding team full access to those areas.

Garden area replanting

Once the garden area is completed, the company who maintain the garden for W3 will be asked to reinstate the garden to how it looked prior to the works, but with new plants that are less mature. This work will take place over a period of time, allowing the planting to take place at the right time of the year, rather than in the middle of winter.

Updated 11/08/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there will be colleagues on site over the weekend loading out and organising the new materials.

Each of the three phases now has cladding working in progress, with installing of new cladding in the Ritz phase, preparation work in the central phase and cladding removal in the Sainsbury's phase. In addition spandrel works is taking place around the building. Priority is being given to those areas adjacent to the canal path in order to allow the scaffolding to be taken down by mid October when the permit expires.

Ritz phase

Scaffolding 100%.

Rail instalment 98%

Fire Barrier instalment 98%

EPDM to Windows and curtain walling 100%

Installation of aluminium panels 20%

Central phase - Whitworth West side

Scaffolding 100%

Copper Cladding Strip 98%

Copper cladding Rail and fire barrier Instalment 90%

Garden Courtyard

Scaffolding 75%

Copper Strip100%

Aluminium Strip 100%

Aluminium Substrate set up 10%

Sainsbury's phase

Scaffolding 95%

South East Copper elevation strip 50%

South East Aluminium panel strip50%

North East Aluminium strip 40%

The earliest the dismantling of scaffolding is expected to commence is now mid /late September.

Internal Survey

The dates for the internal fire safety survey have been confirmed as 21st, 22nd, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th September. A total of 7 days on site, which gives an indication of how comprehensive the survey is expected to be. This survey is being funded by Redrow. At this time no access is expected to be required to any apartments. The survey will require access to the 9th floor bullnose void and Longworth have left a section of this exposed/netted for that purpose, the surveyor will also have the carpark ceiling highlighted to them to determine if this area is fully compliant.

The results from the survey are expected back in late November which will then lead to a programme of works being established. W3 did undertake internal remediation works to both firedoors and compartmentation in late 2021 and it is hoped this will reduce the amount of new work required.

Updated 03/08/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there will be 4 colleagues on site on Saturday loading out material. Going forward, as the scaffold build phase reaches completion, the cladding team will begin to regularly work weekends.

The lower 10 floors of the Sainsbury's phase have been handed over to the cladding team and cladding removal works have commenced in this section.

Further scaffolding is required around the terrace of apt 8.26 and to bridge the remaining garden courtyard legs, but the scaffolding build phase is now very close to completion. A smaller number of scaffolders will remain on site for the next few weeks to make any adjustments required and provide 'small platforms' required to access balcony areas from the existing scaffold levels.

New cladding installation continues to make good progress in the Ritz phase. The new backing strips are being installed in the central phase - best seen from the garden area, in preparation for the new cladding panels and fire breaks. Old cladding removal has commenced in the Sainsbury's phase. Old spandrel panels have started to be removed around the building, along with opening up pressure plates and caps, pulling them away from window frames to allow access to the spandrels. New glass spandrels and metal spandrels are now being delivered to site, and located around the scaffolding levels close to where they will each be needed

The earliest the dismantling of scaffolding is expected to commence is now mid September, when the focus will be on the canal path areas - both the Sainsbury's and Ritz sections - to meet the deadline for the expiry of the canal path permit. The scaffolding in these canal path areas will take approx 3 weeks to take down.

At this week's monthly project meeting the official completion date remains 23rd December but the expectation of the W3 Management Company is that the constraints imposed in the city centre by Manchester Council restricting the dismantling of scaffolding from mid November to early January each year will mean the overall project will not complete until early 2024.

Internal Survey

Updated 27/7/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there WILL be scaffolding work undertaken this weekend. Going forward, as the scaffold build phase nears completion, the cladding team will begin to work weekends.

The scaffold build phase has fallen slightly further behind. The lower 10 levels of scaffolding on the Sainsbury's phase will be handed over to the cladding team next week whilst the upper levels of scaffolding build are completed. By 14th August all scaffolding build works, including the garden area will be completed with the exception of 'small platforms' required to access balcony areas from the existing scaffold levels.

New cladding installation in making good progress on the Ritz phase. The central garden core cladding removal is almost compete and requires a slight scaffolding adjustment to access the final pieces. The build up work and installing the new vertical brackets using laser devices to check the alignment will commence on the garden core from next week.

The 10 lower scaffolding levels ( numbered differently to apartment floors) of the Sainsbury's phase will commence the cladding removal next week, including the copper cladding above the Sainsbury's entrance. The existing spandrel panels in this area will remain in place until the replacements are on site to avoid leaving parts of the building exposed. This means an increase in the on site cladding team, with an extra 8 - 10 members arriving from next week, but there will be a reduction in the number of scaffolders from mid August for a few weeks.

Approx 40 pallets of new materials are now in the offsite Longworth compound and with the shortage of storage space at W3 a schedule is being assembled to deliver the new materials on a daily basis to match the progress being made.

The earliest the dismantling of scaffolding is expected to commence is now early September, when the focus will be on the canal path areas - both the Sainsbury's and Ritz sections - to meet the deadline for the expiry of the canal path permit.

There is a monthly project review next Tuesday when completion dates are expected to be discussed but the expectation of the W3 Management Company is that the constraints imposed in the city centre by Manchester Council restricting the dismantling of scaffolding from mid November to early January each year will mean the overall project will not complete until early 2024.

Internal Survey

The dates for the internal fire safety survey have been confirmed as 21st, 22nd, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th September. A total of 7 days on site, which gives an indication of how comprehensive the survey is expected to be. This survey is being funded by Redrow and they have been asked to share details of the 7 days plans, and what access is required to apartments - once this is known it will be shared. This survey will identify any internal works required to achieve building safety certification and will result in a programme of remediation works.

Updated 20/7/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there WILL be scaffolding work undertaken this weekend

Overall Project Timescales at the monthly project review meeting on 27/6/23 the team indicated that after 5 months on site they feel they are 2 weeks behind plan but they are trying to recover this time. The next monthly project review is 01/08/23 at which time we expect to get an update on any delays. There are regulations within the city centre that restrict the removal of scaffolding between late November and early January and these constraints are being factored in to the plans.

Internal Survey

The dates for the internal fire safety survey have been confirmed as 21st, 22nd, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th September. A total of 7 days on site, which gives an indication of how comprehensive the survey is expected to be. This survey is being funded by Redrow and they have been asked to share details of the 7 days plans, and what access is required to apartments - once this is known it will be shared. This survey will identify any internal works required to achieve building safety certification and will result in a programme of remediation works.

Based on a completion date of 23rd December 2023 -at the monthly project review meeting on 27/06/2023 the project team indicated they were 2 weeks behind plan. This will be reviewed on 01/08/23 at the next monthly program meeting.

Updated 13/7/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there will be work undertaken this weekend.

Overall Project Timescales at the monthly project review meeting on 27/6/23 the team indicated that after 5 months on site they feel they are 2 weeks behind plan but they are trying to recover this time. The next monthly project review is 01/08/23 at which time we expect to get an update on any delays. There are regulations within the city centre that restrict the removal of scaffolding between late November and early January and these constraints are being factored in to the plans.

Ritz Phase - The new aluminium cladding is now on site and being attached to W3, except where the scaffolding is tied to the blockwork, these areas will get the cladding as the scaffolding comes down.

Central Phase - Copper and aluminium cladding removal has progressed well, with all the old materials taken off site daily. The remaining section of the garden scaffolding will go a little slower whilst the focus is on the scaffolding on Oxford Street, but this scaffolding section will not need to go as high as the other garden sections due to the bullnose being out of scope for the external works.

Sainsbury's Phase - the scaffolding is on track to be completed by the end of July - with the focus being on the canal path area to be completed first. The time constraints on the canal path permit mean once the scaffolding in this area is completed, all resources will focus on the removal and replacement of the cladding in this section of W3 - to allow the scaffolding to be taken down on the canal path side from mid-late September, before the permit expires in mid October.

Balcony Removal

The vast majority of 'walk on' balconies will now not be removed. The spandrel panels above balcony doors will be accessed from balconies, but will not require internal access. Spandrel panels above living room windows will be accessed from the scaffoling. The design of the fin area, where 'walk on' balconies are fixed to is still awaiting final design and approval.

The balconies in the vicinity of the copper cladding above Sainsburys are not expected to be removed.

Service Yard

As we approach the time of year when historically a number of tenants move in and out of W3, a reminder to all those currently living in W3, and all owners who may be looking for new tenants, that the service yard remains closed to residents, visitors and tradespeople visiting the building and will remain closed for the entire duration of the cladding works.

Any residents moving in or out of W3 and requiring use of the service yard, or anyone receiving furniture deliveries requiring use of the service yard must book a date and time slot with the concierge at least 2 weeks in advance, otherwise vehicles are likely to be turned away.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

Internal Survey

Whilst the focus over recent months has been on the external walls and cladding, an 'intrusive' internal survey will be carried by in the next few weeks on behalf of Redrow, the original developers. This will determine if the previous internal works undertaken in 2021/22 were adequate for todays requirements and if there are any additional internal works required, eg the 'bullnose' on the upper floors. This will cover all internal aspects of the building and access will be required to some apartments. Further information will be provided when dates are known.

Based on a completion date of 23rd December 2023 -at the monthly project review meeting on 27/06/2023 the project team indicated they were 2 weeks behind plan. This will be reviewed on 01/08/23 at the next monthly program meeting.

Updated 6/7/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there will be NO work undertaken this weekend.

Ritz Phase - The new aluminium cladding is now on site. Additional work was needed this week to ensure the rails for the new cladding in the balcony areas compensated for the lack of a true vertical wall behind the cladding. New cladding will be installed from next week, working from the top down - but leaving gaps where the scaffolding is fixed to the blockwork. These gaps will get the new cladding as the scaffolding is taken down.

Central Phase - Copper and aluminium cladding removal has commenced in the garden area. A small hoist has now been commissioned in the garden area. The remaining section of the garden scaffolding will go a little slower whilst the focus is on the scaffolding on Oxford Street, but this scaffolding section will not need to go as high as the other garden sections due to the bullnose being out of scope for the external works.

Sainsbury's Phase - the scaffolding is on track to be completed by the end of July. The time constraints on the canal path permit means once the scaffolding in this area is completed, all resources will focus on the removal and replacement of the cladding in this section of W3 - to allow the scaffolding to be taken down on the canal path side from mid-late September, before the permit expires in mid October. The cladding team will be working weekends to ensure the removal and replacement of the cladding is achieved in time for the permit expiry.

Balcony Removal

The vast majority of 'walk on' balconies will now not be removed. The spandrel panels above balcony doors will be accessed from balconies, but will not require internal access. Spandrel panels above living room windows will be accessed from the scaffoling. The design of the fin area, where 'walk on' balconies are fixed to is still awaiting final design and approval.

The balconies in the vicinity of the copper cladding above Sainsburys may still need to be removed, this will be confirmed once the scaffolding in that aread is handed over.

Service Yard

As we approach the time of year when historically a number of tenants move in and out of W3, a reminder to all those currently living in W3, and all owners who may be looking for new tenants, that the service yard remains closed to residents, visitors and tradespeople visiting the building and will remain closed for the entire duration of the cladding works.

Any residents moving in or out of W3 and requiring use of the service yard, or anyone receiving furniture deliveries requiring use of the service yard must book a date and time slot with the concierge at least 2 weeks in advance, otherwise vehicles are likely to be turned away.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

Based on a completion date of 23rd December 2023 -at the monthly project review meeting on 27/06/2023 the project team indicated they were 2 weeks behind plan.

Updated 30/6/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there will be scaffolding work undertaken this weekend.

Overall Project Timescales at the monthly project review meeting on 27/6/23 the team indicated that after 5 months on site they feel they are 2 weeks behind plan, however next week does see another key milestone being reached - new cladding will begin to be installed in parts of the Ritz phase.

Ritz Phase - The cladding removal from the west elevation is complete and the build up for new cladding is complete. Cladding removal and prep work for new cladding underway on the balcony areas now the lights have all been disconnected. Some fins and high-level fascias have been removed. EPDM work to windows completed. New aluminium cladding is in Longworths yard waiting to be shipped to site early next week.

A section of the bullnose and soffit was removed on 22/6/23, the fire engineer observed there was no compartmentalisation within the roof space. Longworth are unable to install this element of works as it needs to be part of the internal works. Redrow are aware and will be part of a building wide internal survey. Next week new aluminium cladding will begin to be installed on the Ritz phase.

Central Phase - Whitworth Street scaffolding completed and handed over. All the copper cladding above the front entrance has been removed. Garden side scaffolding is behind schedule, expected handover of the core stair and lift area next week. The remaining section of the garden will go a little slower whilst the focus is on the scaffolding on Oxford Street, but this scaffolding section will not need to go as high as the other garden sections due to the bullnose being out of scope for the external works. Removal of the old copper cladding in the garden to commence 3rd July. When the new copper cladding is installed, Longworth propose to improve the aesthetics of the new copper cladding by being consistent with the cills.

Sainsbury's Phase - the scaffolding is now being built up layer by layer instead of starting on the canal side - scaffolders aiming for completing by the end of July. The time constraints on the canal path permit means once the scaffolding in this area is completed, all resources will focus on the removal and replacement of the cladding in this section of W3 - to allow the scaffolding to be taken down on the canal path side from mid-late September, before the permit expires in mid October. The cladding team will be working weekends to ensure the removal and replacement of the cladding is achieved in time for the permit expiry.

Scaffolding removal - The plan remains to dismantle the scaffolding from the Sainsbury's phase first, followed by the central phase, and finally the Ritz phase. However there will be a period in August, once the ccaffolding is fully erected in the Sainsbury's phase, but before it can be taken down where the scaffolders are expected to start to dismantle scaffolding from the Ritz canal path area - apartment numbers x.01, x.02, x.03 may therefore see scaffolding being removed first.

Balcony Removal

The balcony removal trial number 2 was completed, however the challenges with removal and reinstall of the balcony mean that an alternative approach is now being developed which will no longer need the majority of 'walk on' balconies to be removed. The new design will require access to each 'walk on' balcony (from the scaffolding) but will not need the balcony to be removed. Further details will be shared when available.

The latest project plan can be seen here PP06 drop down line 26.6.23.pdf

Service Yard

As we approach the time of year when historically a number of tenants move in and out of W3, a reminder to all those currently living in W3, and all owners who may be looking for new tenants, that the service yard remains closed to residents, visitors and tradespeople visiting the building and will remain closed for the entire duration of the cladding works.

Any residents moving in or out of W3 and requiring use of the service yard, or anyone receiving furniture deliveries requiring use of the service yard must book a date and time slot with the concierge at least 2 weeks in advance, otherwise vehicles are likely to be turned away.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

Based on a completion date of 23rd December 2023 -at the monthly project review meeting on 27/06/2023 the project team indicated they were 2 weeks behind plan.

Updated 22/6/23

W3 Planned communal electricity outage.

Overnight Sunday 25th June into Monday 26th, at approx midnight, essential work will be carried out to remove external lights from W3 as part of the cladding remediation works.

To achieve this safely, one of the W3 communal distribution boards will be switched off from midnight for approx 2 hours.

In addition to the external lights, this distribution board also supples other communal areas, which will also be affected these include :-

Lift lobby area lights on all floors, stair lights on all floors, reception area lights, reception entrance lights, chair lift, sockets within the reception area. Emergency lighting units, where installed, will activate in these areas.

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there will be weekend scaffolding work in the garden courtyard area this weekend.

Balcony Removal

As the green copper cladding is removed from above the front door of W3, the Juliet balconies in that part of the building are being removed until approx late August, allowing for the old cladding to be removed, the old cladding fixing brackets replaced with new ones, fire barriers installed and new cladding put in place.

The removal of the balconies will be via the scaffolding, and will not need access to apartments.

The balcony doors will be restricted to opening only approx 100mm for ventilation.

The second trial for the removal and reinstatement has been successfully completed, although a number of further complications were encountered. The information gained from this trial is now being used to workout the plan for the entire building.

Service Yard

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date remains as 23rd December 2023, at the monthly review in May this completion did not change. The date will be reviewed again at the end of June.

Updated 16/6/23

Discarded cigarettes

Someone within W3, or a visitor to an apartment, who smokes B&H Blue has stupidly and recklessly discarded their lit cigarette from either a window or a balcony - onto the netting. The photo below shows the effect this has had on the netting.

Cigarettes must never be discarded from balconies or windows at any time, but the additional risk we have whilst scaffolding and wooden decking is outside the apartments means an individual’s negligence and stupidity could have serious consequences - including the remediation work being halted.

This must cease immediately.

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there will be no weekend working on 17th/18th June

Balcony Removal

The removal of the balconies will be via the scaffolding, and will not need access to apartments.

The balcony doors will be restricted to opening only approx 100mm for ventilation.

The second trial for the removal and reinstatment on Friday 16th June encountered complications which has delayed the reinstatement, hopefully this is resolved early next week.

The full programme and methodology for balcony removals will then be produced by the contractors and owners/residents will be informed once it is available. When a balcony is due to be removed all items will be required to be taken off the balcony by the residents.

Access to apartments to disconnect external lights

Unfortunately one apartment that was scheduled for Friday 16th was not completed, and will be rescheduled.

Contractors weekly Report

Some points from the contractors weekly report issued 16th June :-

Ritz Phase - All aluminium cladding has been removed. The new rails for the new cladding are 35% completed. Fire Barrier installation is 35% complete. The EPDM work to waterproof the windows is 95% complete.

Central phase - Whitworth Street West - Scaffolding completed, netting ongoing, removal of the copper cladding above the front entrance is 35% complete. Scaffolding to access the soffit is complete.

Central phase - Garden - Scaffolding 55% completed, central core scaffold up to level 7.

Sainsbury’s phase - Scaffolding 15% completed

Other points of note in the report :-

When installing the new rails it has been discovered that the blockwork substrate on the West Elevation is out of tolerance, by approx. 40mm. As a result of this, the rails will need to be packed and the fire barrier size will need to be increased.

It has been identified that there is a condensation risk to the spandrel panel zone as there is no air seal present. Assumed to affect all spandrel panel locations however more detail will be identified following removal.

Longworth design team in the process of evaluating condensation risk.

Window openings

If your apartment windows are prevented from opening to 100mm because of scaffolding poles outside the windows please get in contact with w3liaison@gmail.com

Scaffolding Removal

Whilst there is still a lot of work to achieve once the scaffolding is is place - remove old cladding and strips, install new strips and fire barriers, remove balconies, install new cladding, reinstall balconies etc - provisional dates are now being prepared for the dismantling of the scaffolding, which is showing on the plan to be starting in August.

Service Yard

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date remains as 23rd December 2023, at the monthly review in May this completion did not change. The date will be reviewed again at the end of June.

Updated 8/6/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there will be weekend working to install scaffolding outside the main entrance to W3 to allow access to the soffit under the green copper cladding.

Access to apartments to disconnect external lights

After a false start earlier this week, new dates have been issued to all those apartments where access is required. This access is mandatory and is required to disconnect the lights to allow the cladding works to continue.

Ritz Phase

Central Phase

Whitworth Street West - This section of scaffolding has now been handed over. Works are planned this weekend to scaffold in front of the main W3 door to allow access to the horizontal section under the green copper cladding.

Removal of the copper cladding above the front door has started.

Garden - work continues on the central scaffolding section to be followed by the remaining legs and upper level bridge - the current plan shows all scaffolding in the garden completed by 17th July

Sainsbury's Phase

The current scaffolding plan shows the upper levels on the canal path side being erected from 14th June to 11th July, the majority of Oxford Street from 3rd July to 21st July and the Sainsbury’s door area from 24th July to 18th August

Scaffolding Removal

Balcony Removal

There are no dates yet for the 2nd balcony removal trial.

Service Yard

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023, at the monthly review in May this completion did not change. The date will be reviewed again at the end of June.

Updated 1/6/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there is no weekend working planned for this weekend 3rd / 4th June

Access to apartments to disconnect external lights

Access will soon be required to all apartments which have either an external balcony light fixed to cladding (not brick work) or a light on the privacy dividers on the 8th / 9th floor terraces. This access is mandatory and is required to disconnect the lights to allow the cladding works to continue. Apartments in the Ritz phase have been contacted with available dates and times.

Scaffolding Weekly Fire Alarm Tests

The break glass sounders around the scaffolding (40 in total by the end of the scaffolding build) will be tested on a weekly basis at the same time as the W3 residential and commercial units test - around 3pm on a Tuesday. No action is required from residents providing the sounders stop within 60 seconds.

Ritz Phase

All the aluminium cladding in this phase has been removed, with the exception of those sections requiring temporary balcony removal or light fixture removals.The fixing brackets for the new cladding system continue to be installed and the vertical and horizontal fire barriers (missing from the original build) are being installed. The new cladding panels will begin to be installed later this month. To avoid any confusion, the external cladding material used on W3, both aluminium and copper, is not a direct fire risk - it is the material behind the external cladding, and the lack of fire barriers that is the issue being addressed. When finished the new cladding will look virtually identical to the old, albeit somewhat cleaner.

The EPDM seal required around windows adjacent to cladding (missing from the original build) has been undertaken on one window and is now awaiting an inspection by Building Control to sign off - following approval by Building Control this work will be scheduled for all windows adjacent to cladding.

Central Phase

Whitworth Street West - this section is due to be handed over this week, with pink netting, break glass fire sounders and motion detectors being put in place. Next week the removal of the copper cladding above the main enterence to W3 will commence - due to the cladding design this has to be removed from the top down. Small sections that have been removed to allow the fixing of the scaffolding have confirmed the original survey's findings of the materials used and the lack of fire barriers.

Garden - work has progressed on the central section and will soon move to the remaining legs. The garden scaffolding is expected to all be in place in 3 weeks time.

Sainsbury's Phase

The upper levels of scaffolding will commence next week, starting at the canal path section, followed by the section above Manchester Apartments and Sainsbury's, and lastly above Sainsbury's front door and cash machines.

All the scaffolding materials will be carried from the closed Whitworth Street West taxi rank along the low level scaffolding platform that is now in place, so those apartments on Oxford Street at that level will see a continuous flow past their windows. All scaffolding is expected to be completed by late July.

Emails have been sent to arrange internal photos of those apartments in the Sainsbury's phase which have not already had photos requested / taken. These will take place w/c 5th June for those that have replied.

Balcony Removal

A second balcony removal trial is being planned, however the aluminium cladding 'fins' that protrude between pairs of balconies have been exposed in a number of areas to determine what is behind the cladding and how the balcony connections are made. This part of the building was never investigated as part of the original survey and it now needs some redesign behind ther cladding to improve on both the original balcony connection and fire safety.

Smoking on Balconies

The contractors have reported cigarette ends being discarded from balconies despite all the previous communications to residents and owners. The apartment concerned has been contacted but if this is seen elsewhere there is a risk that the behaviour of a small number of residents may result in access to all balconies throughout the building being prevented.

Service Yard

Lightning Protection

Following information gathering about the existing lightning protection for W3, the scaffolding is now connected to the W3 metal frame to protect he scaffolding in the event of a lightning strike.

Additional areas identified

Now that more detailed inspections can be carried out around the building and behind the cladding a number of areas have been identified as requiring additional work or changes to the original scope.

1 -Additional EPDM (ethylene propylenediene monomer) rubber is required to make the windows that are adjacent to cladding watertight - approved by Redrow

2 -A design review is underway for the 9th floor canopy /roof void now that the full construction of this area is better understood - this may reduce the amount of work needed.

3 -A additional section of aluminium cladding has been identified in the service yard, this is now included in scope.

4- In the southwest corner of the Ritz section it was assumed blockwork was behind the aluminium cladding but it is not present - this will require a design change.

5 - Additional EPDM is required around balconies.

6 - Design required for the fins between balconies.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023, at the monthly review in May this completion did not change. The date will be rewived again at the end of June.

Updated 26/5/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there is no weekend working planned for this weekend 27th / 28th May.

Access to apartments to disconnect external lights

Access will soon be required to all apartments which have either an external balcony light fixed to cladding (not brick work) or a light on the privacy dividers on the 8th / 9th floor terraces. This access is mandatory and is required to disconnect the lights to allow the cladding works to continue. Those apartments concerned will be contacted once dates are shared from the contractors.

Ritz Phase

The fixing brackets for the new cladding system have started to be installed, along with a laser system to identify where extra padding is required to compensate for any deviations in the vertical walls, ensuring that the final cladding will be more vertical than the block work wall itself.

The EPDM seal required around windows adjacent to cladding (referred to in the Additional Items below) has been approved by Redrow and this work will now be undertaken before the new cladding is installed. It is expected this will be required for all phases.

As cladding is removed behind balconies a wider gap is left between the balcony and the blockwork, any resident who allows small pets to use their balcony should pay attention to this gap.

Central Phase

Whitworth Street West - next week will see the completion of the central phase on Whitworth Street West, followed by the pink netting, break glass fire sounders,motion detectors and low level lighting. The copper cladding section above the main enterence will have additional scaffolding in place to allow full access to the copper cladding. W/c 5th June it is expected the removal of the green copper cladding above the front door will commence - from the top down.

Garden - The 4th and 5th legs have been bridged and the bridge is complete. A number of reworks to the garden scaffold plan have been necessary due to the carpark propping locations getting in the way of fire doors and the concierge toilet - this has slowed progress, but this area will be a focus next week. The carpark propping is completed, with barriers and lights waiting to be installed.

Sainsbury's Phase

All the low level scaffolding is now in place around W3, with the final section between Sainsburys and the canal path steps having been completed this week as part of the overnight works. The upper levels of scaffolding will commence as soon as the current section on Whitworth Street West is completed - (expected to be w/c 5th June) - the sequencing in this area will be the canal side first, followed by Oxford Street and finally above Sainsburys front door / cash machines, with all the scaffolding materials being carried from the closed Whitworth West taxi rank along the low level scaffolding platform that is now in place. All scaffolding is expected to be compleyed by late July.

Emails have been sent to arrange internal photos of those apartments in the Sainsburys phase, which have not already had photos requested / taken. These will take place w/c 5th June and all owners / residents who have received the request are strongly advised to reply.

Balcony Removal

The balcony removal trial on 19th May was partially completed and allowed the contractors to further understand the connection of the balcony to the main building - the original drawings for the building did not show enough detail. This information gathered is now allowing a more detailed plan to be produced and a further trial will take place soon - the selected apartment for the 2nd trial will be notified once dates are known, followed by a plan for each balcony that needs to be removed.

As a guide, the majority of balconies that face into the garden area do not need to be removed, whilst the majority of those balconies that face Whitworth West Street, Oxford Street and are along the canal path do need to be removed.

Service Yard

As we approach the time of year when historically a number of tenants move in and out of W3, a reminder to all those currently living in W3, and all owners who may be looking for new tenants that the service yard remains closed to residents, visitors and tradespeople visiting the building and will remain closed for the entire duration of the cladding works.

Taxi Rank

Following discussions between Manchester City Council and the Taxi drivers the temporary tank rank has moved to Whitworth Street, alongside the Palace theatre.

Additional areas identified

Now that more detailed inspections can be carried out around the building and behind the cladding a number of areas have been identified as requiring additional work or changes to the original scope.

1 -Additional EPDM (ethylene propylenediene monomer) rubber is required to make the windows that are adjacent to cladding watertight - approved by Redrow

2 -A design review is underway for the 9th floor canopy /roof void now that the full construction of this area is better understood - this may reduce the amount of work needed.

3 -A additional section of aluminium cladding has been identified in the service yard, this is now included in scope.

4- In the southwest corner of the Ritz section it was assumed blockwork was behind the aluminium cladding but it is not present - this will require a design change.

5 - Additional EPDM is required around balconies.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023 and will be reviewed in late May once significant quantities of cladding have been removed and the full extent of the remediation works is known.

Updated 19/05/23 - revised 23/05/23 with new dates for the overnight works w/c 22nd May 2023

Overnight working

A further set of night time working is required to complete the lower level scaffolding from Sainsbury's to the canal path steps. Constructing the scaffold does involve fixing to the concrete floors which in turn involves drilling out bricks, removing small sections of cladding and drilling into the concrete layers of W3. This will result in some noise and vibration for those apartments in the vicinity. In addition the scaffold team use mechanical equipment to bolt the scaffold elements together which again will result in noise in the vicinity. The higher levels of the scaffold in this area will be constructed during day time hours on later dates. The overnight work will take place on the evenings of both Wednesday 24th May into Thursday and Thursday 25th into Friday

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there is no weekend working planned for this weekend 20th / 21st May.

Key Project Milestones

The key project milestones achieved so far are:-

December 2022 - All contracts signed to undertake the work

February 2023 - Contractors arrive on site

End of April 2023 - Ritz phase scaffolding handed over to the cladding team

May 2023 - Removal of old cladding commences In the North West corner of the Ritz phase

Next week we see the start of the new cladding system being installed in parts of the Ritz phase

Ritz Phase

Aluminium cladding has now been removed from both the North West and the South West corners.

The fixing brackets have been delivered to site, along with the fire break material (this was missing from the original cladding installation).

The replacement cladding system is a complete replacement, not just the external facing panel. All the fixtures and fittings behind the panel are replaced, along with the fire break material being installed. Lasers are used to identify where the vertical fixing brackets need to be packed out to provide a flush finish. The laser activity on parts of the Ritz phase has started, and the new fixing brackets will be installed from next week. The old cladding and brackets, as they are being removed from the building are now being taken off site on a daily basis.

As cladding is removed behind balconies a wider gap is left between the balcony and the blockwork, any resident who allows small pets to use their balcony should pay attention to this gap.

Whilst the Ritz phase is the first area to have cladding removed and reinstalled, a reminder that this will be last phase to have scaffolding removed.

Central Phase

Whitworth Street West - approx 2 weeks left to complete the 3-4 layers of scaffolding needed to reach the top of the building, and to install the pink netting. The low level electric lighting is now being extended to include this section of scaffolding, followed by additional 'break glass' fire alarm sounders and motion detectors to identify any unauthorised access. These devices are linked to each other, therefore when one is activated all the external sounders will sound, however they do not detect fire / smoke - they are manually activated by one of the scaffolding / cladding contractors on site, and manually reset. These 'break glass ' / sounders are not connected to the building fire alarm system, and if they are activated they will not activate the sounders within apartments or the internal communal areas. If residents hear the external sounders activate on the scaffolding they must follow the same procedures as if the internal sounders have activated - immediate evacuation from the building to the designated assembly point.

If necessary the concierge will activate the internal building sounders and alarm, or if any resident sees a fire they should immediately activate one of the internal break glass points which will activate all the internal sounders and automatically inform Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.

Garden - The 4th and 5th legs have been bridged and the bridge is now being built up to the same level as the west garden wall. The basement carpark level propping is in place but the design on the ground floor carpark has had to be modified to avoid impacting the double fire doors. This redesign has inturn impacted the propping in the concierge toilet and electrical cupboards. Once that propping is in place the central garden scaffold will be erected, however this has also had to be modified due to the lack of concrete anchor points available.

Sainsbury's Phase

As above the final section of low level scaffolding will be completed next week.

Balcony Removal

A balcony removal trial is planned for today, 19th May, with specialists in this type of activity being involved. The balconies are bolted in place, rather than welded, so this is expected to help with the removal and reinstall of balconies. This trial will allow the main contractors, Longworth, determine the effort involved in removal / reinstall and the expected timeline for each balcony to be out of use. As a guide, the majority of balconies that face into the garden area do not need to be removed, whilst the majority of those balconies that face Whitworth West Street, Oxford Street and are along the canal path do need to be removed.

Once the balcony removal plan/timeline is established residents will be required to remove all items from their balcony, and access to their balcony door will be prevented when either their balcony is removed or a balcony in the close vicinity is removed.

Service Yard

As we approach the time of year when historically a number of tenants move in and out of W3, a reminder to all those currently living in W3, and all owners who may be looking for new tenants that the service yard remains closed to residents, visitors and tradespeople visiting the building and will remain closed for the entire duration of the cladding works.

Any residents moving in or out of W3 and requiring use of the service yard, or anyone receiving furniture deliveries requiring use of the service yard must book a date and time slot with the concierge at least 2 weeks in advance, otherwise vehicles are likely to be turned away.

Additional areas identified

Now that more detailed inspections can be carried out around the building and behind the cladding a number of areas have been identified as requiring additional work or changes to the original scope.

1 -Additional EPDM (ethylene propylenediene monomer) rubber is required to make the windows that are adjacent to cladding watertight - costs are being prepared for this additional work for approval by Redrow.

2 -A design review is underway for the 9th floor canopy /roof void now that the full construction of this area is better understood - this may reduce the amount of work needed.

3 -A additional section of aluminium cladding has been identified in the service yard, this is now included in scope.

4- In the southwest corner of the Ritz section it was assumed blockwork was behind the aluminium cladding but it is not present - this will require a design change.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023 and will be reviewed in late May once significant quantities of cladding have been removed and the full extent of the remediation works is known.

Updated 15/05/23

Night Time working - A further set of night time working is required to complete the lower level scaffolding from Sainsbury's to the canal path steps. Constructing the scaffold does involve fixing to the concrete floors which in turn involves drilling out bricks, removing small sections of cladding and drilling into the concrete layers of W3. This will result in some noise and vibration for those apartments in the vicinity. In addition the scaffold team use mechanical equipment to bolt the scaffold elements together which again will result in noise in the vicinity. The higher levels of the scaffold in this area will be constructed during day time hours on later dates. The provisional dates for this overnight working are Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th May.

The Balcony removal trial is expected to take place on Friday 19th May - the owners/residents of the apartment impacted have been advised.

Updated 12/05/23

Balconies

Rendall and Rittner and the W3 Management Company have been made aware of the following from the contractors on site:-

During a routine walk of the scaffold last Friday there was evidence occupants had been using BBQs on the balconies. These were recently used not just stored.

Irrespective of the cladding works it has always been the case that barbecues must never be used on balconies or terraces, and combustible items such as charcoal, paint, etc must never be stored on a balcony. As things stand today residents are allowed access to their balconies whilst there is scaffolding outside or below, except when the balconies are being removed, but it is possible that this may change because of the selfish stupidity of some residents using and storing barbecues and combustible materials on their balconies.

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there is no weekend working planned for this weekend 13th / 14th May and the project plan will take into account there are significant road closures around W3 on Sunday 21st May for the Great Manchester Run.

Ritz Phase

Aluminium cladding has now been removed for the north west corner and is well underway on the south west corner of the Ritz phase.

The existing fixing brackets will also be removed, followed by firebreak remediations behind the cladding.

As cladding is removed behind balconies a wider gap is left between the balcony and the blockwork, any resident who allows small pets to use their balcony should pay attention to this gap.

Central Phase

Whitworth Street West - approx 3 weeks to now take that section to the top of the building - the first part of the central phase is already at the top and now has netting installed.

Garden - The 4th and 5th legs have been built - and will be bridged at the 8th floor level. Work has commenced on the central section although there have been some challenges with both the propping and identifying suitable anchor points for the scaffolding in this area. The garden ramp has been moved for the remainder of the cladding works.

Sainsbury's Phase

The canal path low level section is completed and is waiting for the final section of low level scaffolding to be erected to join onto the section outside Sainsbury's.

Balcony Removal

Plans are being prepared to remove the first balcony later this month. Longworth will be using the expertise of a specialist contractor to undertake this work. This first balcony will help determine how long each balcony will take to remove and reinstate, the situation with fire barriers behind the metal work and therefore allow a more detailed balcony plan to be established. The main balcony removal programme will commence from June and details will be communicated once they are known. The majority of the balconies that face the garden area will not need to be removed whilst the majority of other balconies will need to be removed.

Additional areas identified

Now that more detailed inspections can be carried out around the building and behind the cladding a number of areas have been identified as requiring additional work or changes to the original scope.

1 -Additional EPDM (ethylene propylenediene monomer) rubber is required to make the windows that are adjacent to cladding watertight - costs are being prepared for this additional work for approval by Redrow.

2 -A design review is underway for the 9th floor canopy /roof void now that the full construction of this area is better understood - this may reduce the amount of work needed.

3 -A additional section of aluminium cladding has been identified in the service yard, this is now included in scope.

4- In the southwest corner of the Ritz section it was assumed blockwork was behind the aluminium cladding but it is not present - this will require a design change.

All scaffolding is expected to be in place by the end of July

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023 and will be reviewed in late May once significant quantities of cladding have been removed and the full extent of the remediation works is known.

Updated 05/05/23

Weekend Working

The contractors have advised there is no weekend working planned for this weekend or on Bank Holiday Monday 8th. There is weekend working planned for the weekend of 13th/14 May and the project plan has to take into account there are significant road closures around W3 on Sunday 21st May for the Great Manchester Run

Low Level Scaffolding

Two nights of overnight working have taken place to construct the lower levels of the scaffolding around the Sainsbury's entrance and beginning the Oxford St section. Residents in W3 will be able to see the complexity of the scaffolding in that area, with everything having to be manually carried from the taxi rank, and how harder that would have been during daytime when there are significantly more pedestrians around. The upper levels of scaffolding in this area will be carried out during daytimes.

There only remains one small section of low level scaffolding to complete, from the canal path steps to Sainsburys.

Residents and visitors must not discard cigarettes onto the scaffold or let them fall through the balcony floor on any part of the building.

Ritz Phase

Now the Ritz phase has been handed over to the cladding team the focus is to remove cladding and undertake the remediation works behind the cladding. This involves drilling into the concrete layers within the building and the level of noise and vibration will be higher than that experienced with erecting the scaffolding. There will be times when the noise and vibration travels quite a distance throughout the building due to the nature of its construction. This will continue in the Ritz phase throughout May.

Central Phase

Whitworth Street West - Lower level scaffolding was completed last weekend, with approx 4 weeks to now take that section to the top of the building - the first part of the central phase is already at the top and now has netting installed.

Garden - the west wall legs and bridge are completed and netted. The next 2 legs are being constructed and will join the west wall bridge by the end of next week. Plants and bushes are now bering removed in the central section of the garden to allow the more substantial scaffolding construction around the stair case and lift shaft to commence. The garden ramp will be dismantled in the next few days and a temporary ramp put in place. A scaffold tunnel of approx 5 metres will be constructed from the garden door towards the communal decking area.

Sainsbury's Phase

The canal path low level section is completed and is waiting for the final section of low level scaffolding to be erected to join onto the section outside Sainsburys.

All scaffolding is expected to be in place by the end of July

Apartment Photos

Those apartments which were due to have internal photos taken on Thursday 4th May were unfortunately missed and are being rescheduled for next week.

Balconies

Plans are being prepared to remove the first balcony, probably during w/c 15th May. Longworth will be using the expertise of a specialist contractor to undertake this work. This first balcony will help determine how long each balcony will take to remove and reinstate, the situation with fire barriers behind the metal work and therefore allow a more detailed balcony plan to be established. The main balcony removal programme will commence from June and details will be communicated once they are known. The majority of the balconies that face the garden area will not need to be removed whilst the majority of other balconies will need to be removed.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023 and will be reviewed in late May once significant quantities of cladding have been removed and the full extent of the remediation works is known.

Updated 28/04/23

Weekend Working

Scaffolding works will take place this weekend and are also expected for the following 2 weekends to complete the low level base build.

Overnight Working

The work carried out on the evenings of 25th and 26th was successful with all the glass panels removed from the Sainsbury's canopy.

On the evenings of Wednesday 3rd May and Thursday 4th May, again whilst Sainsbury's is closed (11pm - 6am), the base level scaffolding will be constructed up to approx the 2nd floor apartments level. Constructing the scaffold does involve fixing to the concrete floors which in turn involves drilling out bricks, removing small sections of cladding and drilling into the concrete layers of W3. This will result in some noise and vibration for those apartments in the vicinity, mainly on the lower floors. In addition the scaffold team use mechanical equipment to bolt the scaffold elements together which again will result in noise in the vicinity. The higher levels of the scaffold in this area will be constructed during day time hours on later dates.

Ritz Phase

The Ritz phase scaffolding is now completed and a formal handover from the scaffold team to the cladding team has taken place. The netting around the scaffold in the Ritz section has been taken up to the top levels, and early next week those balconies in that phase will have netting put in place around the outside of the balcony - this will allow balcony doors to be opened, apartments ventilated and the balcony used but will separate the construction area from the balcony. Residents and visitors must not discard cigarettes onto the scaffold or let them fall through the balcony floor.

Now the Ritz phase has been handed over to the cladding team the focus in that area will be to remove cladding and undertake the remediation works behind the cladding. This will involve drilling into the concrete layers within the building and the level of noise and vibration will be higher than that experienced with erecting the scaffolding. There will be times when the noise and vibration travels quite a distance throughout the building due to the nature of its construction. The approximate timeline is for cladding removal in the South West corner and North West corner to be completed by the end of next week, with the remainder of May to complete the remediation works behind the cladding.

Central Phase

Whitworth Street West - Lower level scaffolding will be installed from the main W3 entrance door to the cash machines over the next few days, with approximately a 5 week period to then take that scaffolding to the very top of the building.

Garden - the west wall legs are in place and bridge construction almost completed, this will be raised in height over the coming days to match the height on the canal side. The central garden section is the next part to be erected with the carpark still being propped on the two carpark layers below.

The garden ramp will be dismantled in the next few days and a temporary ramp put in place. A scaffold tunnel of approx 5 metres will be constructed from the garden door towards the communal decking area.

The first section of the garden phase is expected to be handed over to the cladding team in mid May.

Sainsbury's Phase

As noted above there will be overnight work next week to create the lower level scaffolding around the Sainsbury's doorway. Over the following weekends the low level scaffolding will be extended along Oxford Street, past Manchester Apartments to the canal steps. The canal path low level scaffolding has commenced this week, requiring the temporary closure of the canal path and steps from Oxford Street.

All scaffolding, on all phases of the building, is expected to be in place by mid/late July.

Apartment Photos

This coming week is the final week for apartment photos to be taken in the central phase.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023 and will be reviewed in late May once significant quantities of cladding have been removed and the full extent of the remediation works is known.

Updated 20/04/23

Weekend Working

Scaffolding works will take place on the weekend of 22nd and 23rd April, and the following weekend.

Overnight Working

On the evenings of Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th April, during the hours that Sainsbury's close (11pm - 7am) the glass canopy above the entrance area of Sainsbury's will be removed. This will involve mechanical equipment and the use of a diesel generator at times throughout the night.

On the evenings of Wednesday 3rd May and Thursday 4th May, again whilst Sainsbury's is closed, the base level scaffolding will be constructed up to approx the 2nd floor apartments level. Constructing the scaffold does involve fixing to the concrete floors which in turn involves drilling out bricks, removing small sections of cladding and drilling into the concrete layers of W3. This will result in some noise and vibration for those apartments in the vicinity, mainly on the lower floors. In addition the scaffold team use mechanical equipment to bolt the scaffold elements together which again will result in noise in the vicinity. The higher levels of the scaffold in this area will be constructed during day time hours on later dates.

External Fire Alarm Sounders

As the scaffolding is being constructed around the walls of W3 a series of external fire 'break glass' points / sounders are being installed on the scaffolding. These devices are linked to each other, therefore when one is activated all the external sounders will sound, however they do not detect fire / smoke - they are manually activated by one of the scaffolding / cladding contractors on site, and manually reset. These 'break glass ' / sounders are not connected to the building fire alarm system, and if they are activated they will not activate the sounders within apartments or the internal communal areas. If residents hear the external sounders activate on the scaffolding they must follow the same procedures as if the internal sounders have activated - immediate evacuation from the building to the designated assembly point.

If necessary the concierge will activate the internal building sounders and alarm, or if any resident sees a fire they should immediately activate one of the internal break glass points which will activate all the internal sounders and automatically inform Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.

Garden Scaffolding

The scaffolding in the garden has commenced with 3 towers being erected on the west wall - once these pass the 7th floor balconies the 'bridge' will be constructed at the upper floors to join the towers together. Approx 10 more towers will be created in the garden and bridged in a similar way, with more substantial scaffolding in place by the lift shaft / stairwell. Parts of the garden are now fenced off and used as a storage area for the contractors - residents are not allowed access to this area, although the gate will not be locked as the area can be used as an evacuation route in the event of an emergency for those residents with doors opening onto the garden area. Some of the garden lights have to be removed and will be reinstated at the end of the works. Smoking will continue to be permitted in a section of the garden area but not in the vicinity of the scaffolding or within the fenced off area. For the duration of the cladding works Rendall and Rittner has advised the barbecues can not be used in the garden area, and has always been the case at no time can barbecues be used on balconies.

Carpark Propping

Propping has commenced on both levels of the W3 Carpark to support the weight of the scaffolding that is being erected in the garden area. The location of the propping has to be precisely underneath the scaffolding towers, which in turn have to be positioned in specific locations to balance the load of the scaffold on the upper floors and work around the apartment balconies. Parts of the propping will extend into the the main carpark ‘driveway’. We ask that extra care is taken when manoeuvering within spaces adjacent to the propping and within the carpark generally, remembering that the speed limits of a ‘walking pace’ / 5 mph should be observed at all times.

Balconies

There are now an increasing number of apartments with balconies which have scaffolding either in close proximity or below. All residents and visitors to these apartments need to ensure that no cigarettes, rubbish or any other material are thrown off their balconies onto the scaffolding below - this is a fire hazard. Once the scaffold build is complete for the Ritz phase, the remaining netting will be put in place, including between balconies and the scaffolding.

Taxi Rank

The taki rank is now closed.

Apartment Photos

No more photos are being scheduled for the Ritz phase. The schedule is now being completed for the central phase, with photos taking place from 24th April.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023.

Updated 13/04/23

Overnight Working

As has been mentioned in the owners and residents zoom calls there is a need for night time working to take place as part of the W3 cladding remediation works.

The current plan shows night time working taking place week commencing 24th April for approximately 5 nights, to construct the first levels of scaffold around and above the entrance to Sainsbury’s. This has to be undertaken when Sainsbury’s is closed for obvious health and safety and practical reasons, and therefore with Sainsbury’s closed from 11pm until 7am - this is the window that the works will be carried out in each evening.

Constructing the scaffold does involve fixing to the concrete floors which in turn involves drilling out bricks, removing cladding and drilling into the concrete layers of W3. This will result in some noise and vibration for those apartments in the vicinity, mainly on the lower floors. In addition the scaffold team use mechanical equipment to bolt the scaffold elements together which again will result in noise in the vicinity.

Any changes to the planned dates for overnight working will be shown here.

Weekend Working

There is no weekend working planned for 15th / 16th April

The scaffold construction has made progress along Whitworth Street West from the Ritz to the main entrance door - the lower levels can only be carried out at weekends when there is less pedestrian traffic and the next phase of low level scaffolding on Whitworth Street West is waiting for the final section of the taxi rank to be closed (21st April)

The current plan shows the lower levels of scaffold will continue to the Sainsbury’s cash machines on 22nd /23rd April

The plan then shows the lower levels of scaffold being erected from Sainsburys, along Oxford Street to the canal path steps on the weekend of 6th / 7th May

Garden Scaffolding

There has been a change to the scaffolding plan for the garden area. Instead of starting in the central section of the garden, the first part to have the scaffold towers installed will be the west side of the garden. Three scaffold towers will be erected close to that wall, attached to the concrete floors of the building, with a scaffold ‘bridge’ joining the towers at the upper levels, and connecting to the scaffolding on the canal path, to allow full access to the 8th and 9th floors.

The construction of the three towers along the west side of the garden will commence next week, requiring parts of the private decking to be removed and the dividing wooden partitions being removed.

Parts of the garden will be fenced off and used as a storage area for the contractors - residents will not be allowed access to this area, although the gate will not be locked as the area can be used as an evacuation route in the event of an emergency for those residents with doors opening onto the garden area.

Smoking will continue to be permitted in a section of the garden area but not in the vicinity of the scaffolding or within the fenced off area.

For the duration of the cladding works Rendall and Rittner has advised the barbecues can not be used in the garden area, and at no time can barbecues be used on balconies.

Carpark Propping

Propping has commenced on both levels of the W3 Carpark to support the weight of the scaffolding that will be erected in the garden area. The location of the propping has to be precisely underneath the scaffolding towers, which in turn have to be positioned in specific locations to balance the load of the scaffold on the upper floors and work around the apartment balconies. Parts of the propping will extend into the the main carpark ‘driveway’. The propping will have barriers on the outside and signage in place but we ask that extra care is taken when manoeuvering within spaces adjacent to the propping and within the carpark generally, remembering that the speed limits of a ‘walking pace’ / 5 mph should be observed at all times.

Balconies

Apartment Photos

No more photos are being scheduled for the Ritz phase. The schedule is now being completed for the central phase, with photos taking place from 24th April.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023.

Updated 05/04/23

The team of scaffolders on site has now increased to 22. With the exception of the 9th floor terrace area, the scaffolding in the West Phase, seen as the most complicated section, is now complete. The 9th floor terrace area scaffolding will be erected next week. The lower levels now have netting in situ, lighting has been installed and anti intrusion measures in place.

Work has already commenced on the central phase of scaffolding on the Whitworth Street West elevation, as far as the main entrance door, and this will continue to rise to the top of the 9th floor, before progressing further up Whitworth Street West.

From next week work will commence in the central garden section, with the focus initially on the central lift/stairwell area. A reduced section of the garden will still be available, with modifications to the access ramp and a tunnel created under the scaffolding. Smoking will continue to be permitted in a section of the garden area once through the tunnel, and 5m away from the walls. Some apartments which have direct access to the garden area will have that access prohibited once the scaffold build commences.

A number of plants and shrubs will need to be cut back in the communal garden area. Photos have been taken of the ‘as is’ plants and shrubs to ensure the garden is replanted in a similar way at the end of the cladding works, but obviously the plants are unlikely to be as mature when they are first planted.

The private decking in the garden area, adjacent to the building walls will need to be removed to allow the garden scaffolding to be erected on the concrete slab and owners/residents have been asked to clear their decking.

The scaffold in the garden area also requires propping on both levels of the carpark and communal areas. The specific propping locations have been identified and chalked out and owners/residents impacted have been made aware of the alternative arrangements.

The majority of the taxi rank has already been closed, but the Council have asked that the remaining section remains open for a little longer until a new location can be established - the entire rank will be closed from 21st April. Signage will be put in place directing taxi customers to the temporary position which will be under the railway tunnel by the side of Gorilla.

The main cladding removal works will commence from the end of April, at which stage the true extent of remediation works behind the cladding will be known, however a number of ‘unexpected’ issues have already been identified and these are being discussed with Redrow, Thomasons and the fire consultants as appropriate. These include the voids behind the spandrel panels, aluminium stripping in the service yard, and the use of damp proof course in window areas.

There have been instances of rough sleeping around the front entrance door to W3 under the shelter of the scaffolding. The R&R Property Manager has issued guidance to the concierge team for such situations so if you do see anyone rough sleeping under the scaffolding please make the concierge aware.

As discussed in the residents meeting in January, there is a need for out of hours working to take place in some locations around the building. A night working license is being requested for works to take place w/c 17th April and/or w/c 24th April (11pm - 7am) - the apartments in the vicinity of those planned works will be contacted in the next few days and the dates / times will be confirmed in a future update.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023.

Updated 28/3/23

WEEKEND WORKING .....The scaffolders are scheduled to be working on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd April.

Scaffolding continues to be erected on the Ritz phase of the works, currently this is up to level 9, (not floor 9 ) with 2 / 3 levels still to go. In part because of the street and canal permits being granted later than had been anticipated this phase is a little behind plan. The completion date for the scaffolding in this phase is now mid-April.

As part of the scaffold construction, areas will be ‘fanned out’ and motion sensitive surveillance cameras installed with 24/7 monitoring (not involving the W3 concierge) to detect any unauthorised activity. The scaffolding in the Ritz phase will now have the lower areas covered in netting, (the upper areas will be netted once completed) and the lower rungs of the scaffold, where there is no cladding material in the vicinity, will have the boards removed.

In parallel to the Ritz phase, work will commence on the central section of scaffolding in April. From 3rd April the Whitworth Street West scaffolding will be extended from the Ritz phase, past the carpark and front door entrance. From 10th April the scaffolding will be erected inside the garden area around the resident lift, stairwell and garden door area, taking approx 3 weeks to reach the top of the building.

A number of plants and shrubs will need to be cut back in the communal garden area. There have been discussions with the garden maintenance company professionals to look at the options for temporarily replanting, but based on their experience with cladding works at other developments, this was not seen as a viable option. Photos have been taken of the ‘as is’ plants and shrubs to ensure the garden is replanted in a similar way at the end of the cladding works, but obviously the plants are unlikely to be as mature when they are first planted.

The apartments with private decking in the garden area have been asked to clear the decking by the end of March to make way for the scaffolding. Parts of the decking will be removed to allow the scaffolding to be erected on top of the concrete slab underneath, with the decking replaced afterwards with either the same or similar material. For some of these apartments on the first floor, the private door from the apartment to the garden area will be locked out of use when the scaffolding is erected outside, from approx April to November.

Part of the taxi rank has already been closed, the remaining section will be closed in the coming weeks.

The main cladding removal works will commence from the end of April, at which stage the true extent of remediation works behind the cladding will be known.

A number of ‘unexpected’ issues have already been identified and these are being discussed with Redrow, Thomasons and the fire consultants as appropriate - these include the voids behind the spandrel panels, aluminium stripping in the service yard, and the use of damp proof course.

A revised programme plan has been issued and can be found via the link below.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023.

Updated 18/3/23

Scaffolding continues to be erected on the Ritz phase of the works, due for completion by the end of the month. Where possible the scaffolding on the 9th floor terrace in this phase will be installed nearer to the time that the ‘bull nose’ cladding is ready to be removed.

Once the scaffolding commences in the second phase (from April), a number of plants and shrubs will need to be cut back in the communal garden area. There have been discussions with the garden maintenance company professionals to look at the options for temporarily replanting, but based on their experience with claddings works at other developments, this was not seen as a viable option. Photos have been taken of the ‘as is’ plants and shrubs to ensure the garden is replanted in a similar way at the end of the cladding works, but obviously the plants are unlikely to be as mature when they are first planted.

The cladding in the garden areas is concentrated on the upper 2 floors, and also on the outside wall of the central resident lift/staircase area and therefore the garden scaffolding will not replicate the Whitworth West design. A series of scaffold ‘towers’ will be used in the garden to reach the upper floors and then scaffold ‘bridging’ joining these towers to give full access to the upper floors. Scaffold ‘towers’ will be constructed along the sides of the garden, and due to the additional weight load on the concrete slab, the two floors below need to be ‘propped’. This ‘propping’ requires a number of carpark spaces to be taken out of use - these owners have been contacted. The propping will also be in place in some of the communal areas on the two floors below the garden, including around the carpark ramp.

The design of the scaffolding in the garden area means apartments on floors 2-6 facing into the garden area are going to see less impact from the scaffolding than those facing Whitworth Street West.

There are now a number of apartments with balconies which have scaffolding either in close proximity or below. All residents and visitors to these apartments need to ensure that no cigarettes, rubbish or any other material are thrown off their balconies onto the scaffolding below - this is a fire hazard. Once the scaffold build is complete for the Ritz phase, the netting will be put in place, including between balconies and the scaffolding.

From the end of March significant amounts of existing cladding in the Ritz phase will be removed. As part of this removal, some balconies need to be removed and later reinstated. Once a timetable for the removal of balconies is known this will be communicated to both owners and residents of the impacted apartments - this will require those balconies to be cleared of all furniture, plants, pots etc. The project is not simply to remove cladding and replace with new - remediation works are required behind the cladding before the new cladding can be installed. It is only once the existing cladding is removed in a particular area that the true extent of remediation works behind the cladding can be assessed.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023.

Updated 14/3/23

Scaffolding erection has progressed quickly in the last week on both the canal side and Whitworth Street West section of the Ritz phase. The scaffolding in the Ritz phase is due to be at the top of the building by the end of March, after which the scaffolding will commence in the central section.

There has been a delay in sending compensation agreements out to the owners of carpark spaces impacted by propping - this will be resolved shortly. In the meantime a confirmation will be issued in the next week for those vehicles that need to move to alternative spaces to allow for propping of the garden scaffolding. These moves will take effect during April.

From the end of March significant amounts of existing cladding in the Ritz phase will be removed. As part of this removal, some balconies need to be removed and later reinstalled. Once a timetable for the removal of balconies is known this will be communicated to both owners and residents of the impacted apartments - this will require those balconies to be cleared of all furniture, plants, pots etc. The project is not simply to remove cladding and replace with new - remediation works are required behind the cladding before the new cladding can be installed. It is only once the existing cladding is removed in a particular area that the true extent of remediation works behind the cladding can be assessed

Dilapidation photos for the Ritz phase are scheduled for w/c 20th March. - approx 10 apartments are still to reply.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023.

Updated 4/3/23

Work continues, with the focus being on the welfare units in the lower carpark and scaffolding in the service yard and Ritz passageway. The service yard scaffold is up to level 6, with the staircase and hoist in place. The Ritz passageway is up to level 6 except the southwest corner where the Ritz had their own scaffold until 24th Feb.

Whitworth Street West and Canal Path scaffolding starts 6th March.

Propping to support the weight of scaffolding above the terrace of apartment 1.01 is in place on both the ground and basement carpark levels.

Cladding has started to be removed on the southwest corner from levels 1-3. The original survey in September 2020 only explored a small number of areas of the cladding - this is the first time that full panels have been removed to this extent and a true view of the issues behind the cladding can be seen.

Dilapidation photos for the west / Ritz phase are scheduled for w/c 20th March. - approx 15 apartments are still to reply.

Additional carpark spaces have been identified on both levels where propping will be required to support the weight of the garden scaffolding, which will be required from April. The owners have all been contacted and asked if they need an alternative parking position.

The decking in the garden area, adjacent to the building walls will need to be removed to allow the garden scaffolding to be erected on the concrete slab. Owners will be notified once the replacement decking material is confirmed. Several plants and shrubs in the communal garden will also have to be removed and replaced once the garden phase is completed.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

A project plan, updated with a drop down line as of 28th February, can be seen by following the link below.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023.

Updated 24/2/23

Work continues with the focus being on the welfare units in the lower carpark and scaffolding in the service yard and Ritz passageway.

As per the last update, permission has been granted to scaffold both Whitworth Street West and the canal path from 3rd March. Given this is a Friday work will commence on both these sections on Monday 6th March. Residents will notice an increase in activity from that date.

On the canal path there is a 2 day total closure whilst the lower level of the scaffolding is erected, reopening on Wednesday 8th March. Signage will be in place advising users of the canal tow path of the closure.

On Whitworth Street West, the west side of the taxi rank will be closed from 6th March until 22nd December. Longworth will take over the taxi rank area as an additional delivery drop off/collection point for scaffolding and materials, rather than everything being delivered into the service yard.

The scaffolding work around apartments 1.01, 2.01. 3,01 had to be suspended for a short time this week whilst arrangements were made to relocate vehicles from some carpark spaces on the ground floor. This has been resolved, and residents may now notice ‘propping’ in place in the carpark - (using scaffolding supports on the floor below the main scaffolding erection to support the floor above).

Once the scaffolding moves to the central phase, including the garden area, it is expected that the amount of ‘propping’ required in the carpark area will take approx 20 more carpark spaces out of use. Once the specific spaces have been identified the owners will be contacted.

Thanks to all those owners who have offered their carpark space this week to be used for those displaced vehicles, we have enough spaces for this week, but once we work through the 20 spaces required in the coming weeks we will clearly need more and will be in touch.

Final reminders have been issued to the 70 apartments in the 'west phase' (Ritz side) to request access to each apartment to take dilapidation photos. 18 of these apartments have yet to reply.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

The planned completion date is 23rd December 2023.

Updated 17/2/23

Work continues with the focus being on the welfare units in the lower carpark and scaffolding in the service yard. The rate of activity will increase once work is allowed to start on both the canal path and Whitworth Street West parts of the west phase (Ritz end).The date for works to commence on the canal part has now been confirmed, so both the Whitworth Street West and canal path sections will commence from 3rd March.

At this point the west taxi rank will be closed for the remainder of the W3 project and Longworth will take over the taxi rank area as an additional delivery drop off/collection point for scaffolding and materials, rather than everything being delivered into the service yard.

Until 3rd March the scaffolding on the walls facing the Ritz and in the service yard will continue to rise to the 9th floor. The Ritz has a small amount of scaffolding erected to allow for maintenance to take place on their building, so Longworth and Crest are avoiding that section of the Ritz passage for the time being.

The scaffolding in the 'west phase' is due to be completed by the end of March. In April the scaffolding team will commence on the 'Central phase'.

From early April the existing cladding materials in the West phase will then be removed, remedial works carried out behind the cladding, and new cladding installed.

Requests have been issued to approx 70 apartments in the 'west phase' to allow access to each apartment to take dilapidation photos. These will take place w/c 20th March - these 70 apartments is strongly advised to respond to these requests in order to arrange for the photos to be taken before the cladding removal works commence in the 'west phase'. Requests for the apartments in the central phase will be issued in March.

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

Updated 10/2/23

Work started on Monday 6th February with the focus being on the welfare units in the lower carpark and the service yard.

A carefully planned delivery schedule of scaffolding and other building materials has been taking place, with frequent deliveries required due to the small storage space available within W3.

The Manchester City Council permit application has progressed and they have now confirmed the date when scaffolding can commence on Whitworth Street West, starting at the Ritz corner - 2nd March. At this point the west taxi rank will be closed for the remainder of the W3 project and Longworth will take over the taxi rank area as an additional delivery drop off/collection point for scaffolding and materials.

The 2nd March date is later than had been hoped for, however Manchester City Council has given permission for the Ritz passage scaffolding to commence now, so between now and 2nd March the focus will be on taking the scaffolding in the service yard and the Ritz passage up towards the 9th floor.

The scaffolding along the canal path, from the Ritz passage to the W3 garden area will commence in early March - the exact date is still to be agreed with Canals and Rivers Trust. The first two days work on this part of the scaffolding will involve a total closure of the canal path, with signed diversions in place, to allow the ground level scaffold tunnel to be constructed, followed by the scaffolding construction up to the 9th floor once the canal path is reopened.

The scaffolding in the 'west phase' is due to be completed by the end of March. In April the scaffolding team will commence on the 'Central phase' whilst the removal of the existing cladding, and the remediation works behind the cladding commences in the west phase.

The first week on site has presented a challenge for the domestic waste and recycling collections, with Biffa, on behalf of Manchester City Council, refusing to let us know when they had arrived, for the bins to be taken out to them. This did result in one of the bin chutes being closed for a period of time whilst an emergency waste collection was arranged, but we hope a new process in place will overcome this situation going forward.

The first set of dilapidation photos, for those apartments where cladding removal will be taking place either outside or in the close vacinity, will take place in March. The W3 volunteer directors have been validating the contact information for owners and residents, so when it is time to schedule the visits for the photos as many apartments as possible can be contacted and accessed.

A reminder - the service yard is now closed to residents, visitors and tradespeople visiting the building and will remain closed for the entire duration of the works. Any residents moving in or out of W3 and requiring use of the service yard, or anyone receiving furniture deliveries requiring use of the service yard must book a date and time slot with the concierge at least 2 weeks in advance, otherwise vehicles are likely to be turned away

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

Updated 6/2/23

Longworth, the contractors appointed to carry out the cladding remediation works have now arrived on site, and will be joined by the scaffolding company Crest. The normal working hours will be within the period of 8am - 6pm Monday - Friday. When works outside this window are required residents will be advised.

The current completion date is 23rd December 2023.

The initial areas of work are focussing on converting the W3 service yard into a site base with a scaffold decking storage platform, and the construction of the welfare unit, toilets, canteen and drying room in the lower carpark area.

The scaffolding around the outside of the building is expected to commence around 20th February.

The service yard is now closed to residents, visitors and tradespeople visiting the building and will remain closed for the entire duration of the works.

A liaison service has now been established between residents, leaseholders and contractors for the cladding works. In a change to the previous updates that have been provided this liaison service is not being provided by Rendall and Rittner (R&R) and therefore we ask that you use the correct contact, depending upon the nature of your query. As much as possible we would like the W3 concierge team not to be involved in day to day questions from residents and owners in connection to the cladding project.

For all matters relating to W3 building services, maintenance, leaks, service charge etc please continue to contact R&R northteam4@rendallandrittner.co.uk

For all queries, questions and concerns relating to the cladding remediation works please contact w3liaison@gmail.com or by completing the webform from the menu link above.

Update 30/1/23

The onsite start date is now less than 1 week away, with Longworth arriving next Monday - 6th February.The initial areas of focus are the W3 service yard and the welfare units in the lower carpark. Construction will commence on both of these areas w/c 6th Feb. This involves taking possession of the service yard from Monday 6th, erecting the scaffolding legs and the overhead decking platform that will be used as a storage area for the next 11 months. Within the carpark, the welfare units, toilets and drying room construction will commence and again will be in place for approx 11 months. To provide facilities in the interim period, during the construction of the welfare unit, temporary amenities will be brought to site for a short period.

The construction of the scaffolding gantry and the vertical scaffolding on the west phase of the building will commence once the permits from Manchester City Council and the Canals and Rivers Trust are received and we will advise once that date is known.

The W3 Service Yard will be closed to all owners, residents, visitors and tradespeople from Sunday 5th February 2023, until the end of the cladding project (December 2023).

The service yard cannot be used to store large items of rubbish awaiting collection by Manchester Council.

The R&R liaison role is still not confirmed - once it is the contact details will be shared.

Latest updates and changes to the information on this site

17th June Fire Safety Works

17th June Cladding Documents

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