Newham’s Cabinet has agreed to spend up to £20m on works to improve fire safety in housing blocks across the borough, improving measures to keep residents safe.
Procurement is now set to begin for five contracts to deliver front entrance door replacements, communal door replacements and additional work to contain and stop fires spreading - one of the issues highlighted in October’s Regulator of Social Housing report into Newham’s role as a landlord.
Councillor Blossom Young, Cabinet Member for Housing Landlord and Tenant Experience Improvements said: “We take very seriously our obligation to maintain tenanted properties, to ensure they are at Decent Homes standard and meet all Building and Fire Safety regulations, providing good and safe housing to residents. As part of our response to the recent C4 grading from the Regulator for Social Housing, we are prioritising works against Fire Risk Assessments completed on our tenanted and leasehold properties and fire safety mitigation measures.
“I am delighted that this investment in our fire safety works has been approved, highlighting our commitment to addressing the regulator’s findings, meeting the appropriate standards and mandatory obligations. Investing in our homes will ensure that our properties are well maintained, will reduce long-term maintenance costs and improve the wider community environment.
“Keeping residents safe and improving the quality of housing will always be a priority for us.”
The work will be carried out on buildings categorised as ‘High Risk’ which are those which are at least seven storeys or 18 metres high. Where a major risk is identified, the Council has already put in place other mitigations such as waking night time checks, monthly inspections of all firefighting equipment, a mobile hazard removal service, and monthly liaison meetings with the London Fire Brigade.
Cabinet heard that through specialist surveys to external walls, and other survey work, officers have identified some immediate priorities that need to be addressed, while the longer-term £63m investment programme is being developed.
Discussion at the meeting confirmed to members that benchmarking had been carried out to look at the breakdown of estimated spend for the five contracts, and that a prioritisation tool is being used to target the work at buildings which were believed to be at highest risk.
Newham’s Chief Executive Abi Gbago confirmed that she is in the process of setting up a lessons learnt commission looking at the housing regulator’s report, a step which was welcomed by Members.
A further report to Cabinet on December 3 highlighted progress made against the overall recommendations on the Registered Social Housing Inspectors report. You can read the full Keeping Our Residents Safe report here.
