Agenda item

Fire Safety in the City’s Residential Blocks

Members considered a late report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on Fire Safety in the City’s Residential Blocks and the following points were made.

·         A Member commented that she had read the Golden Lane Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) and that some identified risks that had required action had still not been dealt with. In response, the Director of Community and Children’s Services noted that the FRA had not identified any high risks and instead had only identified some medium risks. Works to address those risks was being undertaken.

·         The Assistant Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods noted that estate managers had put a lot of effort into encouraging residents to be mindful of removing objects such as outdoor furniture or bulky items that risked cluttering stairwells and corridors.

·         In response to a comment from a Member, the Assistant Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods agreed to provide dates and milestones for the fire safety measures outlined within the report.

·         In response to a comment from a Member, the Assistant Director for Barbican and Property Services noted that his staff were reviewing whether alarms that alerted the London Fire Brigade directly should be installed across the City’s estates.

·         In response to a comment from a Member, the Director of Community and Children’s Services confirmed that the City had the resources it needed to ensure fire safety. That said, demand for inspections and materials was high at present due to national demand and therefore high rise blocks were being prioritised first.

·         In response to a comment from a Member, the Director of Community and Children’s Services said that a feasibility study would be conducted before a recommendation was put to Members on whether sprinklers should be retrofitted across the City estates. The feasibility report would be submitted to Members in late 2017.

·         In response to a question from a Member, the Director of Community and Children’s Services confirmed that the City was compliant in terms of leaseholder subletting.

·         In response to a comment from a Member over the need to ensure fire doors were as resistant as possible, the Director of Community and Children’s Services replied that paper would be submitted to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Grand Committee under urgency, and would balance the need for fire resistance doors with the safety of vulnerable residents when they were using the doors.

·          In response to a question from a Member, the Director of Community and Children’s Services confirmed that the advice to residents in the event of a fire was to stay put until the London Fire Brigade arrived.

·         In response to a comment from a Member over the level of rubbish in the hallways of the Barbican Estate and the fire hazard this presented, the Assistant Director for Barbican and Property Services replied that this rubbish was collected daily.

RECEIVED

Golden Lane Estate Residents’ Association (GLERA) Letter

Members considered a tabled letter from GLERA regarding fire safety on the estate and the following points were made.  

·         The Director of Community and Children’s Services noted that following recent testing on Great Arthur House, a 300mm strip of combustible material had been removed. No combustible material remained on the City’s social housing stock.

·         A Member requested that the Sub Committee have sight of the 26 June Q&A document as soon as possible.

Frequency of Meetings

In response to a comment, the Chairman agreed that the Sub Committee review the frequency of its meetings at its September 2017 meeting.