Six high-rise residential tower blocks on the Warwick and Brindley estates, known as the Little Venice Towers, are having the timber from their balconies removed as a safety measure.
While the balconies came up to previous fire safety standards, new advice was published after the Grenfell Tower fire, forcing the council to take action.
Westminster is spending £3m to replace timber decking panels and replace them with concrete tiles.
The 3,000 square metres of decking is not going to waste; instead some of it is being used in allotments on the estate, and the rest will be recycled through social enterprise Community Wood Recycling.
Cllr Andrew Smith, Westminster City Council cabinet member for housing services, said: “The timber may be no good for a balcony, but it’s great for an allotment.”
One tenant, Klaus Davidson, said: “I have been able to help a lot of residents on the allotment by making use of the old wooden decking boards. They are very useful in creating beds for the plants.”
Last year the council removed all of the ACM cladding from the Little Venice towers, and will start work to re-insulate them later this year by applying a completely non-combustible alternative that was agreed with residents.
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