The death of a woman hit by a truck has prompted the English social housing regulator to investigate whether other tenants are at risk of harm on an estate owned by a large housing association.

According to inside Housing:

Elaine Bailey, chief executive of Hyde, said the association undertook a ‘full review of site traffic’

Pedestrian Janette Hastead, 70, was killed on a major Islington housing estate being redeveloped by 50,000-home Hyde Group in January 2013 as the vehicle headed towards the building site.

In a letter written in March this year, obtained by Inside Housing, regulator the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) said an initial review suggested Hyde could have breached the regulator’s neighbourhood standard.

The HCA regarded the matter as serious enough to investigate further.  It is relatively rare for consumer complaints to be investigated by the HCA now as it only intervenes in cases where there is the potential for serious harm to tenants.

If the HCA decides the case meets this ‘serious detriment’ threshold it would mean building site safety can be added to the types of incidents, along with gas safety, balcony maintenance and widespread failure to repair properties, that have so far prompted consumer regulatory intervention.

In the letter, the HCA asks for information from Hyde including whether the landlord ‘is ensuring that tenants are not being put at risk by the building activity on the site.’

After the woman was killed, all construction work stopped temporarily on the Packington estate, which is undergoing a £168m, 791-home regeneration.

Elaine Bailey, chief executive of Hyde, said the association undertook a ‘full review of site traffic’ and took additional safety measures following the incident.

She added: ‘We have provided the HCA with information in relation to this sad occurrence… Safety and traffic management continue to be a standing agenda item at contractor site meetings..’ The HCA declined to comment.

To date 10 landlords have breached the serious detriment threshold, eight of these have been for gas safety. Circle in February breached the threshold because of problems with its repairs service, while Blackpool Council was judged to have caused a risk of harm due to a balcony collapse.