Residents of a north London tower block said they are living a "nightmare", with intruders accessing the scaffolding that has surrounded their homes for the past six years.

The scaffolding was erected at Archway Heights in 2020 as a precautionary measure after a piece of external cladding fell off, according to the housing association, People for Places.

It said it was waiting for approval from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to begin repairs.

The regulator said an application submitted in 2024 had been invalidated, with further information required to demonstrate compliance with building regulations.

Natasha Dyett moved into the nine-storey block two years ago, with the scaffolding already in place.

"We've had the heatwave this summer; I've spent most of it with everything shut because we've had people breach the scaffolding all summer long," Dyett said.

She said that in July she was terrified to see someone outside her window.

"I climbed into bed, I turned over and I saw something outside. I rubbed my eyes because my vision is failing and I could still see it and it moved," she said. "I realised it was a person standing there."

"It seems that every week someone is reporting people on the scaffolding," Dyett said. "They just walk around. I think they can get all the way up to the roof."

She added that the scaffolding meant she sometimes had to keep the lights on during the day, particularly in her son's bedroom which is obscured by a metal guard.

"I try not to because it's becoming quite expensive using the light in the daytime, and then we go out into the actual daylight and squinting our eyes because we've been in darkness for so long."

Ciara Squires, a 34-year-old nurse, said she had also seen at least two people outside her window and found it frightening to return home because people were often loitering outside.

She said CCTV had captured one incident involving five men.

"It was five youngish men. It was just terrifying. Luckily, I wasn't on my own. I was looking after my mum who is recovering from cancer," she told BBC London.

Jameel Choudhury, who lives at Archway Heights with his wife and three children, said the scaffolding had attracted rough sleepers who moved into the building's cycle and storage room.

"We are regularly seeing people going up into the scaffolding, going where they shouldn't be, breaking into the cycle store, dealing drugs: the type of antisocial behaviour you really don't want to see," he said.

Pointing to an area where his bike had been stolen, Choudhury said people had brought duvets, chairs and a microwave into the storage area, where they cooked food and charged devices.

"Just behind these walls there is a child's bedroom and [the child] used to be able to hear all the stuff they got up to," he said.

Residents have also raised concerns about the lack of information about the cladding and whether it is safe.

Choudhury said he feared it could be flammable or come loose, as had happened previously.

"We just want a clear answer from them. What's going on? Is it safe?" he said.

A People for Places spokesperson said extra security had been brought in at the block.

They said planning approval was secured in 2023 and a contractor appointed, but changes introduced by the Building Safety Act concerning higher-risk buildings meant further approvals were required.

Origin Housing, which merged with People for Places in April 2024, submitted an application in 2024 that had to be resubmitted in January 2025. The full integration of the organisations, bringing around 9,000 homes under the People for Places umbrella, was completed in April 2026.

People for Places said it was awaiting a decision from the BSR before work could begin.

"The challenges at Archway Heights are complex, multi-faceted and will take some time to resolve. We know it has been in place for far longer than anyone would have wanted and we want to progress these works as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said.

The BSR was established to reform building safety laws following the Grenfell Tower fire.

A spokesperson said the regulator was "working closely with the applicant to secure approval for proposed remediation works to a non-compliant wall façade originally identified in 2020 prior to BSR being formed".

They added: "This complex case was originally submitted to BSR in April 2024 and was invalidated. A subsequent application was made in January 2025 and has required several requests for further information and ongoing engagement with the applicant for them to be able to demonstrate compliance with building regulations."

Acorn Community Union has been helping residents raise their concerns. Its media spokesperson, Dan Newcombe, said they had been left in limbo.

"Our members have been told for the last six years there will be a decision this month or that month, and that date keeps changing. The housing association is saying one thing, the Building Safety Regulator says another, and our members are left in the dark with no end in sight," he said.

People for Places said residents would receive a detailed programme of work once approval was granted. The repairs are expected to take 12 months to complete.