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LFB commissioner calls for retrofitting of sprinklers

The commissioner of the London Fire Brigade has said she will be “very disappointed” if the Grenfell Tower Inquiry does not recommend the retrofitting of sprinklers to high-rise buildings.

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Just 2% of tower blocks have full sprinkler system

Speaking to BBC Breakfast this morning, Dany Cotton said the blaze should be a “turning point” in terms of fire safety.

“I think Grenfell should be a turning point. I support retrofitting – for me, where you can save one life it’s worth doing,” she said.

“This can’t be optional; it can’t be a ‘nice to have’. This is something that must happen. If that isn’t one of the recommendations [of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry] then I will be so very disappointed.”


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Her comments came as the BBC repeated a 2015 Inside Housing investigation into the lack of sprinklers in high-rise buildings. The BBC’s investigation, published today, was based on Freedom of Information Act requests to 56 social landlords and found that just 2% have full sprinkler systems fitted in flats.

In 2015 Inside Housing found that just 18 of 2,925 council-owned tower blocks – less than 1% – had sprinklers fitted in some of their flats.

Inside Housing’s Never Again campaign is calling on government to fund the retrofitting of sprinkler systems in all tower blocks.

The inquiry into the Grenfell fire will hold its first hearing tomorrow, with an interim report due by Easter.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said it will await the inquiry’s recommendations before deciding whether to retrofit sprinklers.

Following the Lakanal House fire in Southwark in 2009 in which six people were killed, the coroner recommended that the government encourage landlords to consider retrofitting sprinklers in high rises.

Sprinklers are compulsory in new build high rises taller than 30 metres in England and 18 metres in Scotland, while all new homes built from 2016 in Wales must be fitted with systems.

Wandsworth Council, which owns 100 tower blocks, is tomorrow set to approve a £24m programme to install sprinklers in all of its buildings 10 metres or higher.

It plans to recover the cost of installing sprinklers in privately owned flats through service charges to leaseholders of between £3,000 and £4,000.

The Grenfell Tower fire in June claimed the lives of at least 80 people.

Never Again campaign

Never Again campaign

Inside Housing has launched a campaign to improve fire safety following the Grenfell Tower fire

Never Again: campaign asks

Inside Housing is calling for immediate action to implement the learning from the Lakanal House fire, and a commitment to act – without delay – on learning from the Grenfell Tower tragedy as it becomes available.

LANDLORDS

  • Take immediate action to check cladding and external panels on tower blocks and take prompt, appropriate action to remedy any problems
  • Update risk assessments using an appropriate, qualified expert.
  • Commit to renewing assessments annually and after major repair or cladding work is carried out
  • Review and update evacuation policies and ‘stay put’ advice in light of risk assessments, and communicate clearly to residents

GOVERNMENT

  • Provide urgent advice on the installation and upkeep of external insulation
  • Update and clarify building regulations immediately – with a commitment to update if additional learning emerges at a later date from the Grenfell inquiry
  • Fund the retrofitting of sprinkler systems in all tower blocks across the UK (except where there are specific structural reasons not to do so)

We will submit evidence from our research to the Grenfell public inquiry.

The inquiry should look at why opportunities to implement learning that could have prevented the fire were missed, in order to ensure similar opportunities are acted on in the future.

 

READ MORE ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN HERE

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