Stockport Council open letter to Meadow Mill owners and insurers calls for urgent action to address challenges faced by displaced residents

Stockport Council has called on the owner, property management firm, and insurer of Meadow Mill to address challenges being faced by residents and businesses affected by flooding of the building on New Years Day.

In an open letter, signed by the council’s Chief Executive, Michael Cullen, and Leader of Stockport Council, Cllr Mark Hunter, the council is demanding Awal Investments, Cert, and AXA urgently address delays and poor communication residents are facing in making insurance claims and recovering costs for temporary accommodation. Residents report being told by the property management company, Cert, and building owners, Awal Investments, to refer to AXA, to recover costs.

While Stockport Council praised the coordination of the initial response to the flooding of Meadow Mill, home to around 400 people, it is now calling for residents affected to be provided with the information and practical assistance they need as a result of having to leave their homes.

The letter is published in full below.

8 January 2025

Re: Meadow Mill

We are writing on behalf of the Council, and residents who have been in contact with our officers, to
raise serious concerns about the lack of response from the organisations we believe are responsible
for the ownership, management and buildings insurance at Meadow Mill.

The immediate response from all parties following the serious flooding on New Years Day and
consequential impact on Meadow Mill would seem generally to have been well coordinated, with
residents either making their own accommodation arrangements, and/or attending the rest centre
set up by the Council. Whilst I understand the scale of the assessment and works required are taking
some time to complete and are seemingly progressing, there has been little/no consideration for the
ongoing plight of the residents affected.

Communication from the management company for the mill provided within the first couple of days
confirmed that the building was insured with AXA, and that reasonable costs incurred by the
residents could be claimed through this policy. For many residents, this has meant personally paying
for hotel accommodation ‘up front’, although the Council has been faced with an increasing number
who are financially unable to cover such costs, and have nowhere else to turn – both the
management company (Cert) and building owners (Awal Investments) are referring to AXA, but AXA
would seem to be refusing to deal with residents directly, and I understand there has been no
information provided to residents regarding how to claim, or indeed secure temporary
accommodation if they are not able to fund initial costs.

As time has progressed, the level of desperation amongst residents is growing, with a number now
reporting that financially they have been forced to move back in, without electricity or water or
indeed any of the appropriate safety systems operating to protect them or the building. Whilst such
unauthorised occupation is contrary to the advice and requirements of both statutory agencies, and
the building owners/management company, these residents are clearly desperate.

Initial contact by the Council has been through the building owners and management company, who
reported they were trying to obtain more information from AXA for residents but that this had not
been forthcoming. In recent days, Council officers have contacted yourself Dene as the Regional
Director (North) of AXA directly.

It is now over a week since the flood and more delay and lack of certainty over temporary
accommodation arrangements will be of cold comfort to the residents, many of whom are now in
complete crisis.

We would urge all parties to act swiftly, as they should have done from the start, to provide the
residents affected with the information and practical assistance they need as a result of having to
leave their homes.

We look forward to your immediate response to the concerns raised so that residents can be
provided with the information and assistance that they need.

Yours sincerely

Cllr Mark Hunter
Leader of the Council

Michael Cullen
Chief Executive, Stockport Council