Edwin House: The Unofficial Drug Den of Upton Village?

While recent improvements across Upton Village have been welcomed by residents, one entrance continues to fail its community, and it’s costing people their peace of mind.

At the heart of the issue is Edwin House, where a persistently faulty entrance door has effectively turned part of the building into a public hangout spot, and not the good kind. Groups of young adults have been breaking into the building late at night, loitering in the hallways, littering, smoking weed, playing loud music, and in some disturbing cases, banging on residents’ doors in the early hours.

“I woke up to someone banging on my door at 4am,” said one Edwin House resident. “This is happening because the main door doesn’t work. Anyone can just walk in.”

Despite repeated repairs by Peabody, including replacement handles and magnetic locks, the entrance remains laughably easy to break into. While technically “fixed,” it clearly hasn’t been fixed properly. Residents living in that section of the building continue to feel unsafe, with little confidence that the next repair will be the one that finally secures their home.

One resident pointed out that they are paying £1,550 per month for a two-bedroom flat, with a £100 rent increase added in February. For this level of rent, there is a clear expectation that the building will be secure and properly maintained. Right now, it isn’t.

Weed, Noise and No Repercussions

With no meaningful deterrents in place, Edwin House is fast becoming a hotspot for public nuisance, a location where anti-social behaviour continues unchecked. It raises serious questions about resident safety and the priority being placed on protecting all areas of the estate, not just those with the highest number of leaseholders.

The Good News: A Round of Applause Where It’s Due

To Peabody’s credit, many other long-standing issues across the estate have been successfully resolved in recent months. Upgraded doors for bin rooms, bike stores and garden access points have made a noticeable impact. Homeless individuals can no longer break into these areas, and security has visibly improved.

A big thank you goes to Bukunmi, Peabody’s community manager, for working with the residents’ association to provide clear timelines and updates for these improvements. Her support and communication have not gone unnoticed.

Now Let’s Finish the Job

But the work isn’t done. The residents of Edwin House deserve the same level of safety and respect as every other part of Upton Village. We cannot continue to accept “almost secure” as a standard. Every door matters. Every resident matters, whether they’re a leaseholder, social tenant, or private renter.

We’re calling on Peabody to stop applying short-term fixes and deliver a permanent solution to the entrance at Edwin House. Until then, the door will remain a gateway, not to a safe home, but to an environment where residents feel exposed, ignored and unsafe.

Upton Village Community