Compass Point: Southampton residents living in 'absolute squalor'

Some 241 flats were put into the former Ordnance Survey headquarters building on Romsey Road, Lordshill, Southampton, by owner BMR Compass.

Residents who moved into the Compass Point block – converted under permitted development rights – say they were promised “high quality” living in a glossy brochure.

But now the poor state of the block – with sewage seeping into the children’s play area – is so bad that an MP has branded it “wholly unacceptable” in the House of Commons.

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Southampton City Council’s planning enforcement team is currently investigating “external issues” at the block.

'Nobody cares about us' after paying £210,000 

Mum Sydney Hendrickx paid £210,000 for a ground floor two-bedroom flat in February 2022.

She told the Echo that she has to keep her toddler out of some rooms in the building because she does not want him to breathe in mould. 

Resident Sydney Hendrickx says nobody cares about the residents of Compass Point. (Image: Newsquest) Speaking to the Echo, Sydney said: "Nobody cares about us. We send emails and now we get no reply.

“It's no secret how much we paid and it's upsetting that we get no support at all."

She added: "Nobody has accountability."

'Living in squalor'

Southampton Test MP Satvir Kaur raised the issue in parliament – pointing out "raw sewage" leaking into the bike area, which should have been a play area.

Speaking in parliament, Ms Kaur said: “Residents of Compass Point in my constituency are living in squalor.

“Water from the roof is being directed to the basement, causing regular flooding; loose pipework and wires are making the site unsafe; and raw sewage is seeping into the children’s play area. 

Water on the roof flows down through the blues drain - like the one seen in the photo - and goes directly down to the basement, where it is pushed into another drain. (Image: Newsquest) “Does the Leader of the House agree that that is wholly unacceptable and that more needs to be done to hold to account freeholders such as BMR, their subcontractors, and lettings agents such as Leaders?

“Will she join me in requesting that they act swiftly and without delay to resolve the many, many issues that have been raised but not responded to?”

Water from the roof goes directly into this drain in the building's basement. (Image: Newsquest) BMR Compass Ltd told the Echo it was “deeply disappointing to learn of these issues.”

The owners added: “The issue of sewage leakage was addressed immediately upon being reported.

“We have since resolved this problem and will ensure ongoing monitoring to prevent recurrence.”

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Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service says it is taking concerns – including about a fire panel not working – “very seriously” and has sent firefighters to investigate the property.

Property management company KMP Solutions has stopped managing the block, telling the Echo it “valiantly (tried) to carry out our duties”.

This means residents now no longer know who is managing the property with another one yet to be appointed.

Loose wires can be seen all over the outside of the building. (Image: Newsquest) BMR Compass Ltd said it is still in the process of appointing a new managing agent within the next 10 days.

“We are confident that this transition will help address and resolve many of the current issues and foster a positive relationship between residents and management moving forward,” the company said.

'I paid £210,000 for this'

Dan Harker paid £210,000 for a two-bedroom corner flat in the building in February 2023, and for the first 12 months of living there, he was in a wheelchair.

He said a ‘bump’ in the accessible entrances at the block caused problems for him to get in and out.

Resident Dan Harker paid £210,000 for a two-bedroom corner flat and moved in February 2023. (Image: Newsquest) He said: “Nobody in a wheelchair would be able to pull themselves over that.”

He added: “It’s not what we paid for – I absolutely feel trapped.

"Everyone expects issues for the first couple years, so you need someone to be on site to fix those as and when you find them.

“But we can't get in contact with anyone, so a little minor thing goes wrong and it takes forever to anybody to get onto it. There's nobody there to help us."

Bumps in the door would make it almost impossible for a person in a wheelchair to get into the building. (Image: Newsquest) BMR Compass say that the bumps “prevent water ingress into the building.”

They told the Daily Echo that they will “explore options” to improve the access.

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Theft problems at bike shed

Other problems at the block include the brochure’s promise of “ample secure bicycle storage” that is instead a set of racks.

The bike shed is not lockable - it is a set of racks not bolted to the floor. (Image: Newsquest) There have also been reports of thefts of bikes, residents told the Echo.

BMR Compass said: “We were aware of a commitment to provide bike racks but not lockable bike sheds.

“However, as a gesture of good faith and to support resident needs, we are actively looking into sourcing and installing these facilities.”

Building materials have been left in the bike shed, which BMR Compass Ltd told the Echo was left by a resident, and that they will it clean up regardless. (Image: Newsquest)

'Camera pointing down'

CCTV was installed but no footage has been shared with residents to help their police reports.

“Someone pointed a CCTV camera at the ground six months ago, and it’s still pointing down now,” said Redbridge ward councillor Sally Goodfellow, who residents contacted for support.

BMR Compass told the Echo that the system is “fully operational and regularly monitored”.

The company said it has invested £4,000 in the system’s servicing and said that it will “investigate the specific claim regarding a camera being pointed at the floor and ensure this is rectified immediately”.

Residents submitted a formal letter of complaint to BMR Compass and estate agents Leaders on October 15 but say they have seen little improvement.

Landscaping work has been done to the central island in the car park. (Image: Newsquest) BMR Compass said that it is “continually investing in the development,” saying it has spent “thousands of pounds” on landscaping enhancements in the car park’s green space.

State of building 'ridiculous'

Resident Rod McDonald moved in October 2023 because the building advertised lifts and his partner has a disability.

Resident Rod McDonald. (Image: Newsquest) He is happy with the internal state of his flat but told the Echo that he is kept up most nights by loud noises in the water pipes whenever anyone in his block runs their taps.

BMR Compass did try to repair the pipework, he said, but there followed a major ground floor flood in August, creating puddles across the carpets.

The carpets were not taken up to clean them but doors were left open to air out the property, and the building’s basement is now covered in mould.

BMR Compass told the Echo that carpets were fully replaced in flats “where necessary,” but did not comment on carpets in communal areas.

A spokesperson said: “We spent thousands of pounds to ensure the work was completed to the highest standard and avoided cutting any corners in returning the affected flats to their best possible condition.”

The ground floor and basement were left drenched after the flooding in August. (Image: Submitted) One lift remains out of order after the August flooding and Rod calls the condition of the building “ridiculous”.

BMR Compass told the Echo that the required part was ordered in September and that the lift will be “repaired without delay” once it arrives.

What the authorities say

A spokesperson for the fire service said: “We have visited the property to investigate, and we will continue to work with the responsible person to ensure any fire safety issues are addressed.”

A spokesperson for Southampton City Council said: “The issues fall into two different legal categories depending on whether they are within the building or outside of it.

“Our planning enforcement team are investigating the external issues, however the issues raised about conditions within the building are a matter of contract law between the tenants, leaseholders and freeholder of the building and we must recommend that the residents seek independent legal advice as to their options and understand that they have done so and are moving ahead on this route to resolution.”

The sewage pipe left puddles in the bike shed, which can be seen in this photo. (Image: Newsquest)

No-one to ask for help

Former management company KMP Solutions left the project last weekend.

Residents – who have banded together with a WhatsApp group – have been unable to get any information as to who the new management company will be.

They found a leaking pipe above the ceiling on the ground floor on November 19 but could not report it.

A spokesperson for KMP said: “In the time we have provided services to this site, we have tried valiantly to carry out our duties to the best of our ability. Leaseholders are generally well aware that this is the case.

“We are unable to comment about matters that relate to responsibilities of others, including our client freeholder.”

The basement is plagued with mould after flooding in August. (Image: Newsquest)

'Frustrations of tenants'

BMR Compass told the Echo it believes issues can and will be resolved through the appointment of a “proactive and reliable new management agent.”

Leaders was not the original estate agent at point of sale and has only recently become involved in letting the flats at Compass Point.

A spokesperson at Leaders said: “Both the developer and Leaders absolutely understand the frustrations of the tenants and the ongoing issues relating to Compass Point.

“While these issues technically fall outside our remit, our team has worked diligently to resolve several pressing issues and will continue to work alongside the developer and the new block management company once appointed, ensuring that outstanding concerns are swiftly addressed.”