Tower block register to assess fire risk

The register was a key demand of Inside Housing’s Safe as Houses campaign, which aims to improve fire safety in tower blocks.

The TSA agreed to back our call for a register last year - but this morning it issued more details about the register.

It said the database will hold details on ownership, the number of properties and the age of the tower block. It will also list the date of the last fire risk assessment and the date of the next assessment.

The TSA will begin collecting data from housing associations in February 2010.

Phil Morgan, executive director tenant services, said: ‘The health and safety of tenants is obviously of paramount importance to housing associations and their tenants. That is why the TSA is proposing to include health and safety in its new standards for social housing landlords, which come into force from April, and by developing a new national register of tower blocks.

‘The register will be a valuable tool, allowing us to build up a comprehensive picture of tower blocks in England. It will allow us to work with landlords to ensure that they are fully complying with their responsibilities to carry out risk assessments and taking appropriate action so that tenants are properly protected from the risk of fire.’

Inside Housing began campaigning on the issue following a fire at Lakanal House, Camberwell, in July last year, in which six people died. The fire spread much more quickly than anticipated - and since the fire Southwark Council was issued with fire enforcement notices by the London Fire Brigade on three separate tower blocks.

The TSA wrote to all housing associations in July last year asking them to check the fire safety of their tower blocks following the Camberwell fire.

Housing associations were asked to inform the TSA if they owned any housing with similar ‘scissor block’ design features which were of concern. The Communities and Local Government department, with whom the TSA is working closely on these issues, wrote to all local authorities asking for similar information.

Five housing associations have reported that they have a total of six blocks with a similar design to Lakanal.  These associations are:

• Amicus Horizon
• Gentoo Sunderland
• South Yorkshire Housing Association
• Paragon Community Housing subsidiary Richmond upon Thames Churches Housing Trust
• Whitefriars Housing Group

All five associations have advised the TSA of the plans in place to address the fire safety issues. All of the associations have up-to-date fire assessments and the tenants who live in the six blocks have been notified and will be kept updated.

As the regulator, the TSA is continuing to work with the five landlords on the issues raised.

The register is expected to be available in the summer.

Have your say

You must sign in to make a comment