Residents left homeless by a major fire at the Spectrum Building in Dagenham are calling for greater transparency from the building’s owner and its insurer over the cause of the blaze that destroyed their homes last August.

More than 80 people were displaced after the fire tore through the apartment block. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) rescued at least 20 residents during the incident. The building has since been demolished, following surveyor reports declaring it unsafe.

Sarah Williams, a former leaseholder, told BBC London:

“I have no home. No one will give me answers and I've got no justice.”

She described the emotional toll of seeing her former home reduced to rubble:

“Just seeing a former home in rubble on the floor is quite difficult.
Nobody was ever able to get back into their flats, we had no opportunity to say goodbye other than standing on the outskirts watching as they destroy your home.”

Ms Williams estimates her personal losses at over £100,000, including possessions that were uninsured and the cost of finding alternative accommodation. She added:

“Collectively, as residents and leaseholders we're looking at millions of pounds that we will face in costs for a fire that was not our fault.”

Although insurer Aviva has agreed to cover three years of rent for those affected, residents say this falls short of the six years it may take to rebuild. A letter signed by 17 MPs, including Dagenham MP Margaret Mullan, has been sent to Aviva’s Group Chief Executive Amanda Blanc, demanding:

“Answers about what caused the fire and what allowed it to spread so quickly that their lives were in danger.”

The letter also noted the long-term disruption the fire has caused:

“The Spectrum Building fire caused profound upheaval to the victims and continues to have significant negative effects on their lives.
Today, the leaseholders are still in temporary accommodation across our constituencies, uncertain how to rebuild their lives.”

While the MPs acknowledged receiving Aviva’s forensic report, they called for additional details beyond what has been shared so far. Ms Williams echoed this, saying:

“What we want is some kind of technical information about what our building was made of, photographs and evidence.”

James Allchurch, another leaseholder who both lived in and rented out properties in the building, said:

“At the moment I would just like some transparency, accountability, responsibility.
We know Aviva conducted a forensic investigation into the cause of the fire and I just feel that something as important as that should be available in the public domain to prevent it happening in the future.”

Mr Allchurch has since purchased a new home in Kent, but he did so without being able to sell or rent out his Spectrum properties.

“We were renting out our flat, that was our pension for the future and that's gone as well,” he said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Aviva said:

“Aviva remains committed to supporting the Spectrum Building community during this difficult time.
Throughout this process, we have actively engaged with the freeholder and their representatives to ensure information is shared appropriately, balancing transparency with our legal obligations and the integrity of the ongoing investigation.”

The insurer said it had issued a letter to all leaseholders, shared via the freeholder’s representatives, and to several MPs, summarising its forensic findings.

However, Aviva noted that its investigators cannot begin full analysis until investigations by the LFB and the Metropolitan Police have concluded and the site is reopened.

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