Councils Remove Families from Britannia Point After Air Conditioning Restrictions During Heatwave

Multiple London councils have initiated plans to remove residents from Britannia Point, a 19-storey temporary accommodation block in Colliers Wood, after discovering families were denied access to air conditioning units during record-breaking heatwaves. The restrictions prompted hospitalisations among children and sparked intervention from local MPs and council leaders.

The Accommodation Crisis Emerges

Around 60 families living in Britannia Point discovered they were prohibited from using built-in air conditioning units despite soaring temperatures across the United Kingdom. Reception staff at the building, managed by Aura Assets Management on behalf of freeholder Criterion Capital (owned by property magnate Asif Aziz), informed residents that cooling units had "not been offered as an amenity" under their temporary housing arrangements and could not be activated.

One mother reported her one-year-old daughter was "dripping with sweat" after the cooling system stopped functioning, while her 12-year-old experienced between 10 and 20 nosebleeds over two to three days. Multiple families brought children to accident and emergency departments with heat-related symptoms including fainting episodes and continuous nosebleeds. The building's glass-fronted design is known to retain excessive heat during warm weather.

Council Response and Relocations

Wandsworth Council, which had placed residents in the block, announced "immediate" plans to move tenants to alternative accommodation, citing resident welfare as a priority. Sutton Council stated it had already ceased placing new residents in Britannia Point and was actively relocating existing tenants. Croydon Council, facing exceptionally high demand for emergency housing, opted to maintain residents in the building but initiated welfare checks and raised formal concerns with Criterion Capital regarding conditions.

Labour councillor Stuart Neaverson from Merton, who has been assisting residents, called on all councils using the facility to follow suit, demanding Criterion Capital explain how such restrictions could be imposed during temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius.

Management Responses

Criterion Capital stated it engages with leaseholders and encourages cooperation with local authorities, though declined to assume direct responsibility for tenant arrangements. Aura Assets Management initially claimed air conditioning units were "fully operational" and residents were "welcome to use" them, contradicting the documented messages sent by building reception staff. Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh expressed being "appalled" by the situation and formally raised concerns about families being left without cooling during an exceptionally warm summer.