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Stormy days ahead as Harbour Views garages get flooded
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Special report by PANORAMA reporter
A storm is brewing at Harbour Views - and it is to do with the flooding of the garages.
The residents there have had to endure the well-known historical problems resulting from what they describe as bad workmanship and faulty building construction, not only water ingress into their apartments and a regular feature of burst water pipes cascading down from one flat into another. An agonising experience.
A decade ago the litigation against builders Agroman was settled and the company agreed to pay over £24 million. At the time, the Government said that 'Harbour Views was a "design and build" contract which means that Ahgroman were responsible both for the design and the construction of the estate.'
Thus, the residents put up with years of remedial works to rectify these major construction faults.
Now, the latest problem - which started some 4 or 5 years ago, another major project said to have cost millions of pounds to seal off water ingress from the podium level into the underground garages, these works carried out by Gibraltar Joinery & Building Services Ltd (GJBS), the wholly owned Government company.
When after nearly 5 years of work on the estate, GJBS moved away, it was thought that the project had finished and residents of Harbour Views could look forward to a dry garage.
But this was not to be the case; no sooner had the rains descended over Gibraltar, water ingress was back - on this occasion inside the recently (everyone thought) waterproof sealed garages. Although this time water had poured through the garage ceiling landing in more areas than before these latest works had commenced, said resident.
We were told that not only is water penetrating like never before through the podium into the garages and onto motor vehicles underneath, but the podium itself - which was also resurfaced as part of these works- has seen large cracks formed along the middle of it, mini earthquake style! Many feel this can only compound the problem.
At present the Harbour Views garage ceiling when it rains resembles a tea strainer, it is said. The latest rounds of bad weather and rain have clearly highlighted the situation.
The only protection to vehicles is by placing plastic sheeting above the vehicles and attached to the ceiling, hoping that the rain and sometimes residue that falls will keep vehicles dry, but some residents say that this is not that effective. Many have also been moved from their personal parking bays and allocated a temporary one due to the amount of rain that affects areas of the parking complex.
The Harbour Views Management (MVM) is said to be understandably concerned and would like this situation to be resolved soonest, and are actively engaged in attempting to get these works satisfactorily completed.
The question also being asked is that, as GJBS takes over practically all Government low-cost home-ownership projects like Waterport Terraces, those in South District, the Mid-Habours rental housing project and all the other contracts that may come their way, if they will be in a position to expedite the urgent works needed at Harbour Views.
"Shouldn’t GJBS finish one project to the satisfaction of everyone before commencing another one?", said a resident, adding that as far as the residents of Harbour Views are concerned GJBS still has unfinished business on their estate!
"How can a state of affairs like this be allowed to continue, where an estate like Harbour Views which has been plagued for two decades with remedial works,and now this latest episode - How will all this fare for the confidence and the future of home-ownership in Gibraltar?" that is another question being asked.
Residents of Harbour Views, like most people who buy their own property, have invested a lot of money into their homes and estate, and yet after 18 years the sorry tale surrounding this residential estate continues.
Is this the type of background and mental environment that the future of Gibraltar’s home-ownership scheme is going to be associated with, bearing in mind all the recent problems surrounding the various other on-going home-ownership projects?
It would appear that not many lessons have been learnt as far as Harbour Views is concerned, it is still costing millions, residents are not happy and still suffering the consequences.
We contacted GJBS for comment but were told that the person who could answer our questions was not available. We await their views.
08-02-10
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