Agenda item

Fire Safety Update

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services in respect of fire safety matters, since the last update to Members in October 2017.  Whilst this report concentrated on the Barbican Estate, the Assistant Director advised that the report was representative of measures in place across the City’s social housing estates. Members noted that a ‘waking watch’ was in place at Great Arthur House.

 

Members noted that one of the issues in the aftermath of the Grenfell had been the local authority’s lack of knowledge about some of its residents.  The Assistant Director advised that the City Corporation had embarked on a 6-month project to visit all the City’s social housing estates; to undertake fire risk assessments and gather intelligence on any potential safeguarding and housing tenancy fraud/subletting issues.  Members noted that local authorities had been tasked with gathering information on private residential blocks, above a certain height, and landowners were obliged to work with the Fire Brigade and the local authority.  The Comptroller and City Solicitor confirmed this and advised Members that the Secretary of State had implemented a risk assessment scheme and, if a rating was above a certain level, remedial powers could be imposed on a local authority.

 

Members noted that, due to a national backlog of fire door testing, the City Corporation’s doors were being tested by contractors. The Assistant Director accepted there had been some initial confusion as to the Fire Brigade’s ‘stay put’ advice, as this might not be applicable to all blocks, and the fire risk assessments were clarifying this.  Members noted that the fire risk assessments were due back at the end of this month and their findings would be communicated widely.  

 

In response to a question about sprinklers, the Assistant Director advised that they could be retro fitted but this would be very expensive and have HRA implications.  Members noted that, following Counsel’s opinion, improvements would not be chargeable to leaseholders, and this was likely to include sprinklers.

 

In concluding, the Chairman and Members thanked the Assistant Director for a clear and helpful report and asked for an update to the Autumn meeting of the Committee.  The Chairman asked for the next update to provide Members with assurance on the recommendations and action plans arising from the risk assessments, on an estate by estate basis, with the focus on amber and red risks. 

 

RESOLVED, that – the report be noted.

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