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Merseyside housing association to demolish tower blocks after fire safety failings
A Merseyside housing association censured by the English housing regulator for fire safety failures last year is set to demolish four of the affected tower blocks.
Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT) is consulting with tenants on plans to knock down the high rises at Gaywood Green in Kirkby, which includes 256 flats. The proposal was approved by the board in 2018.
The association told Inside Housing that some tenants had already been moved away from the blocks, with a full decant expected to take another 18 months as it develops regeneration plans for the estate.
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The 13,000-home landlord was the first housing association to be downgraded to a non-compliant ‘G3’ grading for governance by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) on fire safety grounds after the Grenfell Tower disaster.
The RSH began an in-depth assessment of KHT after it was handed three enforcement notices for tower blocks at Quarry Green Heights, also in Kirkby, in November 2017 by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS).
The Gaywood Green notices, released to Inside Housing by MFRS under the Freedom of Information Act, raised concerns over the four blocks’ electrical trunking, lack of fire action notices for residents, lack of emergency lighting in escape routes, fire doors, windows, use of unprotected plastic pipes and presence of MDF panels in fire-resisting screens and doors.
A spokesperson for KHT said that the organisation had been considering the long-term viability of Gaywood for five years.
They added: “As part of our ongoing commitment to the regeneration of areas in Knowsley, we have, after careful consideration, made a decision to enter a period of consultation with our tenants at Gaywood Green, in relation to a proposal to demolish the site.
“This will enable new investment in homes for the area that will meet the long-term needs of local residents and we will undertake consultation with them as we develop our design approach for the new homes.
“We propose to work in partnership with the local authority, local stakeholders for the area and other developers, to ensure we work together to maximise the benefits to local communities and the local economy.”
The association added that it is “only currently decommissioning Gaywood Green”.
