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No fire risk assessments since Grenfell on Wandsworth tower blocks
Wandsworth Council has done no fire risk assessments (FRA) on any of its tower blocks since the Grenfell Tower fire, eight months ago.
The local authority owns 192 high-rise blocks, but the latest FRA done on any of them was in November 2016, according to figures released to Inside Housing under the Freedom of Information Act.
Guidance issued by the Local Government Association recommends the "periodic" and "regular" review of fire risk assessments, with annual reviews suggested for high rises. It says: "As a general guide... for blocks over four storeys in height, an annual review might be more appropriate."
A council spokesperson told Inside Housing that the 21-storey Castlemaine Tower in Battersea and the 25-storey Sudbury House in Wandsworth had cladding that needed removing.
The spokesperson added: “Both blocks were subject to a series of exhaustive inspections by the London Fire Brigade. We are recladding these buildings and are carrying out a number of mitigation measures so that residents can remain in their homes while this recladding work takes place.
“As this situation is constantly evolving it would be premature to arrange new FRAs at this stage, but when this work is finished we will commission a fresh FRA for each block.”
The information was provided to Inside Housing in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The original deadline for a response to the request was in December, but Wandsworth only responded in February.
When 60 other councils provided figures in December, Inside Housing revealed that less than half of the council tower blocks in England had had a fresh FRA since the Grenfell Tower fire.
Conservative-run Wandsworth Council is also currently attempting to spend £24m on retrofitting sprinklers to all its tower blocks over 10 storeys. It is seeking permission through a tribunal to impose charges on leaseholders in these blocks to cover the costs.
In August, Justine Greening, then education secretary and MP for the area, wrote to then housing minister Alok Sharma asking him to “outline what funding may be available to Wandsworth Council to ensure these works are carried out as thoroughly and swiftly as possible”.
Government officials said in January that four councils would be granted financial flexibility to pay for safety works, but no further information has been given since then.
