Support for those affected by fire at Dairy Court

Staff from both Sovereign and Test Valley Borough Council will be available to provide ongoing housing and welfare support. 

Test Valley Borough Council 

Tel 01264 368000 or email dcourt@testvalley.gov.uk

SNG

To make it as easy as possible for you, SNG have a single point of contact for any queries or concerns:

• Ian Patterson, Locality Manager
• Tyler Simpkins, Locality Officer

You can contact Ian on 07833 436433 or by emailing dairycourt@sng.org.uk.

Any Dairy Court resident will be provided with temporary accommodation if they are unable to make alternative arrangements.  This can be at any stage up until you are able to return to your home.

Sovereign social housing tenants – Sovereign will able be to secure you temporary accommodation.  To make these arrangements please contact Ian Patterson or Tyler Simpkins on 0300 500 0926 or via email dairycourt@sng.org.uk

Leaseholds/Shared ownership occupiers – Sovereign’s Building Insurance company will provide and arrange your temporary accommodation, please contact them directly.  If you do not have the contact details please Adrian Selway or Ivie Otenaike on 0300 500 0926 or via email dairycourt@sng.og.uk.

Immediately temporary accommodation is likely to be a hotel that has availability.  Sovereign are working to identify some more settled temporary accommodation in order to provide stability. 

Flats 1 to 17 

Limited access is possible, please arrange this in advance with Sovereign rather than arriving on site unannounced as the team need to accompany you and follow certain safety rules.

SNG have appointed a company specialising in 'passive' fire safety measures and they're now accessing ceilings and internal/external walls to inspect these and carry out any upgrades, if these are needed. 

This involves cutting open areas of ceiling where services are concealed and pass into another compartment (such as soil stacks and any cable routes). All personal belongings will be covered up and any sections of ceiling they remove will be replaced and then repaired and decorated.

SNG will get residents moved back in as soon as possible.  

Flats 18-25 

All resident possessions have now been removed from this block and residents will no be able to have any further access.

Flats 26-41 

SNG’s building and construction consultancy have carried out a structural inspection of the building. They've concluded that, although there's no overall risk of instability and collapse to the whole building structure, there are still significant concerns with certain parts of the remaining structure that mean most people cannot access their homes. 

The specific areas their report mentioned included the following.

Roof over communal stair lobby

There's a risk of collapse to the roof over the stair lobby where the wall has come away, leaving the roof unsupported. This risk means access by anyone is not allowed to the second floor of Block 26-41. 

It means flats 26, 27, 28, 32, 33, 34, 38, 39, 40 and 41 are not accessible and customers' contents in these flats are not recoverable at the moment. 

Only once the section by section demolition begins - probably later this year, will there be a possibility of the contractors recovering some smaller/lighter salvageable items, please remember these are likely to be extremely limited, given the extent of the damage.

Ceiling plasterboard in any area of the building

There's a risk of the ceiling plasterboard collapsing in any area of the building as this remains damp from the fire being extinguished.

This means access to remaining areas of the building by customers is not allowed. Access is restricted only to experienced specialist contractors as they'll need to carry out specific risk assessments and wear protective equipment before entering flats.

SNG’s contractors will have limited access to flats 29, 30, 31, 35, 36 and 37 only and they will contact these customers directly to arrange a date/time to try and recover any smaller/lighter belongings for you.

We'll be able to give you more details shortly but expect that you'll need to arrive at the gate and advise the contractors what items you want recovering, so that they can retrieve these by hand. Customers will not be able to enter the flats at any time.

Visit www.sng.org.uk/fire-response-dairy-court for more information.

Flats 1 to 17

These flats were not directly affected by the fire so SNG are keen to help you move back as soon as you can, when it’s safe to do so.

This work is underway and will continue week commencing 9 June. Sovereign will keep you updated on this and continue to provide temporary accommodation until you’re able to return.

If you’re staying with family or friends but circumstances change, please let them know.

Flats 18 to 25

The fire service had to access and drill through the walls of the odd numbered flats in the block, to help put out the fire and check this had not spread to the adjoining walls. This means there is considerable damage to these flats as well as smoke and other damage to communal areas and structural damage to a part of the roof.

To ensure the fire safety integrity of the block, residents are unlikely to be able to return until all this work has been completed.

SNG will be able to give you an update on timescales as things progress but please be aware that you will not be able to return to your homes for some considerable time. 

They will speak to you about longer-term temporary accommodation and also work with you to arrange for removal and/or storage of your possessions. We are working with Sovereign to support people with moving and storing their belongings.  

If you have contents insurance, please speak to your provider regarding storage costs. If you don't have contents insurance, please speak to family and friends and explore storage options. 

Flats 26 to 41

This block was severely damaged by the fire on all floors, including the roof. It is structurally unsafe and uninhabitable, SNG will need to assess what this means for the future of the block.

SNG appreciate this is devastating and we’ll fully support you in making longer-term arrangements that are suitable for you, your family, and the needs of your household.

Visit www.sng.org.uk/fire-response-dairy-court for more information.

We have frozen the council tax accounts for all properties affected by the fire, which means that you will not need to pay your council tax for the period you are unable to live there.

We have applied a freeze to all council tax direct debits, so we won’t take payments from your account. If you have arrears then we will be in touch with you separately to discuss these, but the council tax freeze will still apply.

As a tenant, SNG is providing your temporary accommodation - or support while you’re staying with friends or family – and you will still need to pay your rent and service charges to maintain your legal tenancy.

We appreciate this is a very difficult time, so please reach out to our Customer Accounts Team for support and advice by calling 0300 5000 926 or emailing dairycourt@sng.org.uk, so we can discuss your individual circumstances with you.

If you are in receipt of Universal Credit, please don't change your address while you are in temporary accommodation.

If you are a shared ownership resident, SNG have paused all rent and service charges, meaning you will not be charged anything further at this time.  There’s a clause in your lease about suspending the rent element - or a portion of it - where your home is rendered unfit for use. SNG  awaiting information about the fire to confirm if and where this clause will apply.

SNG are also investigating any adjustments that may be required to your service charge, in accordance with contracts and leases, and will give you more information as soon as possible.

SNG are appreciate this is a very difficult time, so please reach out to our Customer Accounts Team for support and advice by calling 0300 5000 926 or emailing dairycourt@sng.org.uk, so they can discuss your individual circumstances with you.

If you are in receipt of Universal Credit, please don't change your address while you are in temporary accommodation.

You must keep paying your mortgage, please contact your mortgage company to let them know what has happened.

It is recommended that you contact your electric and gas suppliers to notify them of the situation, they may be able to offer flexibility with payments or pause your accounts. 

Think about any other household supplier you have such as TV and internet packages. This also includes TV licences which are attributed to a property address rather than an individual How do I tell you about an unoccupied address or empty property? - TV Licensing ™  

Contact your insurance provider to notify them of the fire. Citizens’ Advice Test Valley can assist if you need any help with this. You can contact them on 0808 812 6681.

Sovereign hold the policy for building insurance. Please contact them direct if you need a copy of this, on 0300 500 0926.

You may need a fire incident number/reference when making a claim. You can get that directly from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service by going to this website: Request an incident report - Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service, Official website of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service.

Alternatively the council or Sovereign may be able to provide you with the number, please contact us/them directly.

If your pet needs to stay with you in temporary accommodation, then please let Sovereign or the council know, and we will try to facilitate this.

You may wish to ask family or friends to look after your pets temporarily, alternatively there have been many offers of support made in local Facebook pages.  Test Valley Borough Council's Animal Welfare Officer, Rod Mason, may be able to give you further advice. Please contact him on 01264 368000.

Unity run the Andover Pet Food Bank. You can call them on 03304 004 116, or email info@unityonline.org.uk

The team at Andover Mind is on hand to provide mental health support to anyone affected by the fire. You can contact them on 0300 303 5772. You can also access their Safe Haven support, which provides practical and emotional help at www.andovermind.org.uk/services/north-and-mid-hampshire-safe-haven/

You can also approach your GP to discuss your mental health, they may make referrals for your family to talking therapies, CMHT, CAMHS or any other service they deem appropriate.

A number of support pages have been set up on Facebook to coordinate offers of donations of clothing, toiletries, supplies for babies and children, and other essential items. You can join the Support for Families Affected by Andover Flats Fire 1/6/25 on Facebook. If you can’t access this group, contact the council on 01264 368000.

A number of local charities have also made offers to support people with items, these include:

Unity – 03304 004 116 or email info@unityonline.org.uk.

Andover Community Engagement – 13-17 Bridge Street, Andover.

Andover Food Bank – St John the Baptist RC Church, Alexandra Road Andover, SP10 3AD – Food available until 12:30 with a referral from the council.

Wednesday Warm Hub – Stop, Shop, Eat – Wednesdays 9-12, King Arthurs Hall, King Arthurs Way, Andover SP10 4BS (term time only).

For general help and support, including financial advice, you can contact them on 0808 812 6681.

Think about anything you may receive by post, you may need to contact these organisations and provide them with an alternative address while you are unable to access your home.

The Post Office offers a redirection service which is chargeable: Moving home? Don’t miss the mail that matters. | Royal Mail Group Ltd

There may be other agencies you need to notify of your situation and a temporary address – these may include, your employer, children’s schools, Department for Work and Pensions, GP and other health bodies, bank, anyone you get regular deliveries or subscriptions from. 

Andover Leisure Centre – offering free shower facilities to Dairy Court residents.

Purple Oaks Support – offering accessible shower facilities and access to the Activity Hall from 9:30 – 4:30 (The Wellington Centre, Winchester Road, SP10 2EG.

Available drop-in sessions hosted by Andover Parish:

Mustard Seed SMWA Mondays 9.30 - 11am at St Michaels Church, Weyhill Road SP10 3BB

Lounge Mondays 2 - 4.30pm at St Marys Church Centre SP10 1ER.  Drop in space for adults.

Little Angels Tuesdays 12 - 2.30pm at St Pauls Church, Smannell Road SP11 6JP

Mustard Seed SMA Fridays 10 - 11.30am at St Mary's Church SP10 1DP

For more information on what’s on visit  What's On - Andover Parish.

Home loss payments are a statutory payment made under the Land Compensation Act 1973, Section 29. It's paid to tenants who are permanently displaced from their home, such as when a property is being demolished and rebuilt after a major incident like a fire.

Not all residents qualify for this payment, SNG will have notified you if you qualify and how much you will receive.

If you receive a payment, and you are in receipt of Universal Credit, you need to report the payment to them through the Universal Credit Journal, and upload a copy of the letter.  The payment will not be treated as income, and your universal credit entitlement should not reduce, however you must declare it. 

In your journal you can say: "I've received a statutory Home Loss Payment of [amount] under Section 29 of the Land Compensation Act 1973. This is a payment made for the permanent loss of my home, as defined in UK law. Under Schedule 10, Paragraph 6 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013, this type of compensation is classed as capital but should be fully disregarded. Please confirm that this payment will not affect my entitlement."

Please note: even though the law supports disregarding the payment, Universal Credit isn't always applied correctly. If the DWP treats it as income or countable capital, you should request a Mandatory Reconsideration - quoting the legislation above. If you need support with this, you can request help from your Customer Income Advisor. 

Flats 1 – 17

Once SNG confirm these homes are ready to occupy all tenants are expected to return home.  All temporary accommodation will come to an end.

Flats 18 – 41

Due to the length of time these residents will have to wait before returning home, we have offered those who wish to be re housed a priority banding on the housing register.  This will apply to tenants of SNG only. 

Shared Ownership residents – SNG are currently exploring the options available to you, this may include buy backs.

What to do after a house fire | British Red Cross