Issue - meetings

The report provides an update on the work undertaken since July both in terms of engaging with residents on fire prevention and their concerns, and the work done to cost and plan fire safety improvement works for high rise blocks to ensure that residents are provided with reassurance and the safety of the council’s high rise buildings is enhanced.

RESOLVED:

7.1       Cabinet approved a programme of Type 4 Fire Risk Assessments to be undertaken in every low, medium and high-rise block to ensure all fire risks (including any breaches in compartmentation) are fully understood and inform further works. This programme will start with high rise blocks over 12 storeys in January 2018;

7.2       Cabinet approved that the fire safety improvement programme be integrated within the HRA capital investment programme with immediate effect and that 3 blocks per year are to be completed. This means all blocks over 12 storeys will be complete within 5 years; and 

7.3       Cabinet approved the rationale for prioritising the order in which blocks receive fire safety improvements set out in paragraph 4.16 of this report.

Councillor Butt, Leader of the Council, welcomed Cllr Janice Long, Chair of Housing Scrutiny Committee, to the meeting. Cllr Long expressed concern that the report had not been available for discussion at a meeting of the Council’s Scrutiny Committee, but welcomed the report recommendations.

Councillor Farah, Cabinet Member for Housing and Welfare Reform, introduced the report which follows on from a decision taken at full Council on 24 July 2017 to develop a costed programme of fire safety improvement work to form part of the Council’s response to enhancing fire safety measures in the Council’s housing stock.

Councillor Farah stated that the report provides an update on the work undertaken since July both in terms of engaging with residents on fire prevention and their concerns, and the work done to cost and plan fire safety improvement works for high rise blocks to ensure that residents are provided with reassurance and the safety of the council’s high rise buildings is enhanced. 

Members of the Cabinet welcomed the report and criticised central government’s approach to improving fire safety since the Grenfell Tragedy.

Councillor Butt, Leader of the Council, reminded members of the cabinet about his correspondence with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

RESOLVED:

7.1       Cabinet approved a programme of Type 4 Fire Risk Assessments to be undertaken in every low, medium and high-rise block to ensure all fire risks (including any breaches in compartmentation) are fully understood and inform further works. This programme will start with high rise blocks over 12 storeys in January 2018;

7.2       Cabinet approved that the fire safety improvement programme be integrated within the HRA capital investment programme with immediate effect and that 3 blocks per year are to be completed. This means all blocks over 12 storeys will be complete within 5 years; and 

7.3       Cabinet approved the rationale for prioritising the order in which blocks receive fire safety improvements set out in paragraph 4.16 of this report.