December 2025 - Complaint to the Health and Safety Executive

In November, 2025, Martin Weaver and others raised complaints with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in respect of the safety or otherwise of the working arrangements in place in respect of the Penthouse development. The following documents both the initial complaint by Martin Weaver, and the response subsequently received from the HSE.

The complaint, as recorded by the HSE under case number CAT-0305895 is as follows:

Business or Organisation Name - London Penthouses

Issue location - Chiswick Village, London, W4 3BY

Location Description - Chiswick Village is a 1930s development of 280 flats and penthouse flats are in the process of being built on the roof.

Your Issue

Chiswick Village is a development of 280 individual flats across 15 blocks, which vary is height from four to six storeys. It was built in the late 1920's and in 2018 the air space was sold to a development company wanting to create 15 penthouse apartments on top of the 15 blocks. I am a resident at Chiswick Village, being a freeholder of a flat.

In September this year, London Penthouses commenced work for this development, erecting scaffolding to the six storey blocks (all five of them). Since this work began, the developer has not shared the details of for the development and we are in possession of surveys that highlight significant structural issues that will need attending to. The developer is not responding to any of our queries and as a consequence we have approached the Building Safety Regulator, London Borough Council and the London Fire Brigade for advice. The advice we have been given is to contact the Health and Safety Executive - and to report all of our concerns.

The first issue is that the scaffolding being erected, does not match the plans set out by London Penthouses in their design phase. Further, the material for the scaffolding is being left within public access outside of working hours, that some materials are being leaned up against resident property, blocking windows that could be the only escape route in the event of fire, that poles are being left precariously on top of the roofs of the flats. There is a further concern that the workmen erecting and climbing the scaffolding are not routinely or consistently wearing hard hats. I attach a pictures showing the material left in open access to the public; (image 1, image 4 and image 5) materials blocking resident windows, and workmen on scaffolding without hats.

The workman have left the doors open to the work they are doing to the top of the roof, allowing one resident to access the roof and take some photos - see below. This attachment also highlights damage to the internal corridors and that the workmen are using our lifts to transport heavy building materials - which they were not built for. 

Despite the new Building Safety Regulations being established to prevent unsafe building work to residential flats, we appear to be caught in a regulatory loop - that the BSR cannot get involved until the buildings become high risk buildings (when they become seven storeys high) so referring back to Hounslow Borough Council, and Hounslow referring to the information given by the private building controller, SWECCO, being used by London Penthouses. Sadly, residents are feeling increasingly unsafe in their homes and we are now reaching out to you on the advice of Hounslow, who have indicated their view that there are significant shortfalls in the current plans shared by London Penthouses and definite breaches in health and safety.

Date submitted - November 12th, 2025

On December 2nd, 2025, the HSE, having completed their investigation, provided the following reply:

Dear Martin Weaver,

Thank you for contacting the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

You recently contacted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) describing concerns about standards of health and safety.

I can confirm that HSE has contacted the organisation carrying out the work to establish the current arrangements, and any additional control measures planned in relation to the areas of concern you raised.

Having comprehensively reviewed the information provided by them, and referencing HSE guidance as a benchmark for good practice, we are satisfied they understand their responsibilities, and are managing risk in a proportionate manner.

Additionally, your concern has been retained on HSE’s record for the organisation and will be used as information during any future interaction with them.

Thank you for bringing your concerns to HSE’s attention.

Yours sincerely.

Operational Services Division, Health & Safety Executive, Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle, L20 7HS