Find out more about important fire and safety updated for Lakeside, Central, Hendon, North towers, the 3Ls and River Quarter.
We are delighted to have received a Building Assessment Certificate (BAC) for Planet and Astral House from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). This certificate confirms that the regulator is satisfied that the buildings meet the required safety standards under the Building Safety Act, particularly in relation to fire and structural safety risks.
This means that our safety cases have been reviewed and accepted, and we have demonstrated that appropriate measures, management systems, and controls are in place to keep residents safe. If you live in these buildings, you can find a copy of the certificate in the noticeboard on the first floor.
These latest certificates mean that Planet and Astral House join Solar House, Devonshire Tower and Eglinton Tower in successfully achieving Building Assessment Certificates. We will continue to work with the Building Safety Regulator as the remaining high-rise buildings are assessed as part of its ongoing programme.
Please do not dispose of batteries or vapes in your household bin or bin chute.
Vapes and many everyday items contain lithium-ion batteries, which can catch fire or explode if they become damaged. When waste travels down a bin chute, it can be crushed or impacted, causing batteries to overheat and potentially start a fire in the chute system or bin room.
Fires in these areas can pose a serious risk to the safety of everyone in the building and may affect escape routes and essential services.
To help keep your buildings safe:
By disposing of batteries and vapes safely, you can help reduce the risk of fire and keep your building safe for everyone.
Gentoo must enable customers and anyone else who is in the building to report safety issues relating to fire or the structure of the building. These reports must be investigated and reported to the Building Safety Regulator if they meet a specific criteria. This is called a ‘mandatory occurrence’.
This term is used for very specific types of risks that have or could cause death or serious injury to a significant number of people. Such as:
Please report any concerns to us, so that we can assess whether it is a mandatory occurrence or not. We will take action to rectify all building safety concerns regardless of whether or not they need to be reported to the Building Safety Regulator.
If you have any concerns about the structure of your building or the potential for fire to spread, please contact the team by:
The Fire and Building Safety Team will thoroughly investigate your issues as soon as possible and record the findings and recommendations. This investigation will include:
You can contact the team for an update at any time during our working hours on the contact details above.
Any information collected as part of the investigation will be stored in line with Gentoo’s Data Protection Policy.
We want to keep you informed about work taking place across the city and to reassure you about what this means for your home.
As previously shared, we are continuing to support the few remaining customers living in Lambton, Londonderry and Lumley Towers (3Ls) to move into new homes ahead of the planned demolition of those buildings.
A further update on the next stages of the demolition will be available when the buildings are fully vacant.
We wanted to make customers living in our other high-rise buildings aware that a formal consultation is currently taking place with customers living at City Green Apartments regarding a proposal that could affect their homes.
Over the last few years, City Green has experienced ongoing issues with rainwater entering parts of the building. During this time, Gentoo has commissioned a range of specialist surveys and investigations to better understand the building's condition and identify possible long-term solutions.
The findings showed there is no simple way to permanently resolve the water ingress issues. They also identified extensive fire safety improvements would be required as part of any repair work. This work would require customers to leave their homes for a prolonged period with no guarantee that all of the building's issues could be fully resolved.
Having considered the findings, Gentoo is currently consulting with City Green customers on a proposal to support them to permanently move to alternative suitable Gentoo homes. No final decision has been made and customers are being asked for their views before any decision is taken.
We understand this is a significant matter for those living at City Green. A dedicated City Green team is supporting customers throughout the consultation period, providing one-to-one advice, drop-in sessions and personalised support to help them understand the proposal and share their feedback.
Importantly, additional safety measures already in place will continue throughout the consultation.
This consultation relates only to City Green and does not affect any other Gentoo high-rise buildings or customers living in them. We will continue to keep customers informed once a decision has been made following the consultation.
We are progressing plans for a major investment programme in all seven high-rise residential buildings in Monkwearmouth, which will include replacing windows and carrying out other improvements designed to make homes warmer, more comfortable and more energy efficient.
Where we are now
The project is currently in the design stage. We have appointed an architect and specialist design team to develop the proposals and are also progressing the procurement of a contractor to carry out the work.
Over the coming months, customers in these buildings may see Gentoo colleagues and contractors carrying out surveys and investigations, particularly in Dock Street and Church Street North.
These checks will help us understand the buildings in more detail and ensure the final designs are suitable for residents and the building.
The surveys will help us finalise the design, programme and approach before work begins.
Next update
We will provide a further update around January 2027, when we expect to be able to share more information about the scope of works, proposed timelines and the next steps for residents.
Thank you for your patience while we develop these plans. We are committed to keeping residents informed as the project progresses.