Southsea tower block residents 'held to ransom' over £6.9m works bill

Residents of an apartment block claim they are "being held to ransom" over a £6.9m bill for cladding repairs.

Work started on the Vista apartments in Fratton Way, Southsea, after cladding was deemed unsafe in 2016. They finished in February 2019.

Residents already faced costs of £3.2m as the builder and current owner have refused to pay.

But 69 leaseholders now face further charges of up to £100,000 for each flat to cover the building work.

The building was completed by Linden Homes in 2009 and the company is locked in a legal battle with current owner, Aviva Investors Realm Ground Rent Fund, over who should pay for remedial work.

The fund bought the freehold in 2013 and said leaseholders are liable to pay through service charges.

The building's balconies were deemed unsafe in 2018 and have been unused since.

Retired couple Ann and Steve Hillier bought an eighth floor two-bedroom flat in 2015.

Mrs Hillier, 70, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We have worked hard our whole lives and every penny we had was invested into the flat. It's made me ill with stress."

The chairman of the Vista leaseholders' association Rob Shaffrey, 62, bought his flat in 2009.

He said: "It has affected everybody, a number of leaseholders are suffering mental health issues as a result. It's like we are being held to ransom by Aviva."

A spokesman for the Aviva fund said: "The fund has issued court proceedings against Linden Homes and its parent company, Galliford Try, for the costs that it has incurred in undertaking the required remedial works.

"The leaseholders are liable to pay for the works."

A spokesman from Linden Homes South said: "We are aware that Aviva has started legal proceedings and our legal team is working towards getting this resolved."