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London Assembly calls for more assurances on fire safety
London Assembly members (AMs) have called on Sadiq Khan to lobby the government to introduce new fire safety measures.
Members today (Thursday) unanimously voted on a motion urging the London mayor to tell ministers to “reconsider the use of combustible and limited combustibility cladding and insulation” on high rises and public buildings, and to ensure dangerous cladding is removed from social and private residential tower blocks.
They said Londoners “are still living in homes at risk of fire” as a result of having similar cladding to Grenfell Tower.
The assembly also wants assurance that there will be “no cap” on the government’s promise to fund cladding removal work on council and housing association-owned high rises.
In addition, members called for legislation to end the use of desktop studies which clear materials for use on buildings without full safety testing, as well as to increase retrofitting of sprinklers.
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Tom Copley, the London Assembly’s Labour spokesperson for housing, said: “Grenfell has left an indelible mark on our city, and we need to ensure that no such disaster is ever repeated.
“This is why I am calling upon the mayor, and the chairman of the London Assembly, to write to the government to suggest a number of measures that will prevent the future use of combustible cladding and stretch the scope of their policies to protect private tenants.
“I have also urged them to hold the government to their promise of fully funding the removal of dangerous cladding and insulation from council and housing association properties, without the possibility of a cap.”
Shaun Bailey, a Conservative AM born near Grenfell Tower who seconded the motion, said: “It was absolutely essential to back today’s motion on fire safety. Next week it will be a year since the Grenfell tragedy and it should never be allowed to occur again.
“I am glad that the assembly welcomed the prime minister’s commitment to fully funding the removal of cladding from council and housing association buildings.”
