Agenda item

7.1

The Committee received a presentation on Fire Safety on Tower Blocks, which was given by Janet Sharpe, Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods Services, which provided an update on the Hanover Tower Block Cladding Project and a Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.

7.2

Janet Sharpe took the Committee through the presentation and stated that since the cladding and insulation had been removed during the summer of 2017, the position now was that the specification of the replacement cladding had been agreed, the designs had been shared with TARAs and discussions were ongoing, an external Fire Expert had been consulted with and he was comfortable with the proposal and a bid had been submitted to Government to cover the cost of the removal and replacement of the cladding.  It was proposed that the works would start in November 2018 and be finished by August 2019.  Janet Sharpe said that a detailed review and investigation into the original cladding replacement material installed in 2010 was underway and a report would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee confirming the outcome, lessons learnt and action plan.  She informed Members that 150 recommendations had come out of the findings of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Grenfell Tower Inquiru and the City Council had established a Fire Board to consider the recommendations.

7.3

Members made various comments and asked a number of questions, to which responses were provided as follows:-

·                     Initially, funding for the works would come out of the HRA fund, but the Director was confident that the Government would reimburse the Council.

·                     The Government would not fund the installation of sprinklers in tower blocks.

·                     Each tower block has an Estate Services Officer who carries out checks every few weeks to ensure that residents have not left hazardous waste in communal areas.

·                     The length of time it will take to complete the works at Hanover was due to the fact that there are two blocks closely together, making it the largest tower block in the city.

·                     Robust fire doors were installed and inspections were carried out every six weeks.  The greatest risk with regard to these was human behaviour and it was important to get the message across to people not to wedge doors open.

·                     Although Council-owned tower blocks were inspected on a regular basis, it was difficult to get private landlords to inspect private blocks.

·                     An offer had been made through the Project Group supporting those tenants suffering hardship as a result of the cladding and insulation being removed for such a long period of time.  A comparison has been made of heating bills before and now, and those affected will be recompensed.

7.4

RESOLVED: That the Committee:

(a)       thanks Janet Sharpe for her contribution to the meeting; and

(b)       notes the contents of the presentation and responses to questions.