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A building in central London has caused some ‘heated’ controversy this week, after being blamed for starting fires and melting nearby cars.
The Huffington Post reports that the not-yet-complete 37-story skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street, locally referred to as the ‘Walkie Talkie’ due to its shape, has now been renamed the ‘Walkie Scorchie’ due to its apparent ability to reflect heat from the sun onto buildings and vehicles on the next street.
The £200 million construction has reportedly ‘blistered paintwork, caused tiles to smash and singed fabric’, according to angry nearby business owners – but it gets worse for poor motorist, Martin Lindsay, who claims the intense heat reflected off the building’s windows melted part of his Jaguar when it was parked on the street outside.
Developers Land Securities and Canary Wharf have agreed to pay for the repair work on and have erected a large temporary screen to reduce the likelihood of further damage.
"We have liaised extensively with local businesses to keep them informed throughout. We have decided on this course of action with their input and agreement, says a company spokesperson.
And, luckily for Lindsay – who can obviously due with the help – they’ve offered to foot the bill on his car as well as ‘a gesture of goodwill’.
Now that’s what you call ‘hot property’.
