Newham Council issues fire safety notice to developer over Olympic Village block

There is also a requirement for the smoke control and firefighting systems to be inspected and signage to be updated.

In the letter, EVML told residents it was “fully committed to addressing these requirements” and “your building, and your home, remain safe to inhabit”.

It said it had already completed an update of signage and was due to complete the replacement of the fire alarm panel and certification of the smoke control system and firefighting lift by April 2024. In the meantime, it said a waking watch patrol had “already been implemented” until these works were finished.

On the substantive works to internal fire doors and external balconies and soffits, EVML maintained that the planning phase was “well under way”, with works scheduled to begin by October 2024 and complete “within the year”.

Inside Housing understands that the block in question, Titian Heights, is not covered by January’s first-tier tribunal ruling, which ordered SVDP and its parent company Get Living to pay £18m to make five of the 66 blocks in East Village safe. Last week, Inside Housing revealed that Get Living had appealed the ruling.

An EVML spokesperson told Inside Housing: “We can confirm an improvement notice was issued last week to EVML in relation to Titian Heights in East Village. The notice outlines necessary remediation to ensure the building meets current standards. Residents have been notified, providing reassurance that all homes at East Village remain safe to occupy.

“We have been working closely with Newham Council and London Fire Brigade in its investigation of the building. A thorough process of inspections has taken place to ascertain the remediation required across East Village, where a significant programme of works is already well under way.

“The substantive works detailed in the improvement notice for Titian Heights correlate with what our own independent fire risk assessors identified and forms part of the design for the next phase of the project.

“Some elements of the notice have already been addressed and the substantive works are due to commence later this year. While we always have staff on site 24/7, we have supplemented the team temporarily while we resolve some of the issues affecting Titian Heights.”

A Newham Council spokesperson said: “An improvement notice was served following an inspection of the Titian Heights building where Newham Council identified a Category 2 fire hazard to the building, following extensive consultation with East Village Management.

“Since then, we can confirm that the works specified in the letter and the next steps outlined reflect the requirements of the notice. We expect them to engage with their residents on the next steps and look forward to the remediation works being carried out as soon as is practical.”

In 2023, Newham Council became the first local authority to use its powers under the Housing Act 2004 to successfully prosecute a building owner for delays in dealing with flammable cladding.

The owner of the Lumiere Building on Romford Road was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £30,000 for failure to comply with Newham’s improvement notice to remove dangerous cladding.