© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
Residents of two tower blocks in Swiss Cottage, North West London, have been left frustrated after a shocking blunder resulted in their windows being installed inside out.
The installation error, affecting 85 flats in Dorney block and an unknown number in Bray, has led to overheating issues due to the incorrect orientation of the window panes. Instead of deflecting sunlight, the misplaced glazing reflects heat into the flats, leaving residents struggling with stifling conditions as warmer weather approaches.
Michelle Urquhart, 59, a full-time carer for her father who has dementia, is among the many residents impacted. Already battling stress and anxiety, she described the situation as "overwhelming."
“I can’t describe the stress. I’m actually in therapy for my anxiety," Michelle said. "I had to rearrange my flat once already for the initial installation, and now I have to go through it all over again. My dad has to endure it too—it’s just not fair."
This latest debacle is not the first time the residents of Dorney and Bray have faced serious housing issues. In 2017, they were evacuated when dangerous cladding, similar to that used in Grenfell Tower, was found on the building. Many, like Michelle, say that the ongoing disruptions and poor management have had long-term effects on their mental health.
Her husband, Paul Urquhart, 52, echoed her concerns: “When our flat was done last year, I thought we were finished with all this. Now, we have to move everything again just so they can fix their mistake.”
Another resident, Grace, expressed disbelief upon learning about the mistake: “I thought it was a joke. How could they not notice this earlier? It’s just a waste of time and effort.”
Camden Council, which owns the buildings, has acknowledged the mistake and assured residents that corrective work will be carried out at no extra cost to the council or taxpayers.
“Following checks on the newly installed windows at the Chalcots Estate, the council’s project team found that some window glazing panels in Dorney and Bray were incorrectly fitted by the contractor. While this does not pose a safety risk, it does impact the reduction of overheating in summer,” said a council spokesperson.
They added that each window reinstallation would take approximately 40 minutes and would not be noisy. The work will be conducted alongside other ongoing refurbishments and will be independently checked once completed.
Despite these assurances, many residents remain skeptical and frustrated by yet another setback in their long-running battle for safe and comfortable housing conditions. As the weather warms up, they now face an uncomfortable wait for this latest error to be fixed.