Tower disaster ‘likely to lead to review of building regulations’

The Grenfell Tower block fire disaster in London in which at least 17 people have died is likely to lead to a UK-wide review of regulations on the building of high-rise developments, according to the chairman of Manchester City Council’s planning committee.

Cllr David Ellison, himself an architect, was speaking to TheBusinessDesk.com today as the full extent of the horror in London was still developing.

In particular, the focus is already on the cladding which was put on Grenfell Tower during a £10m refurbishment by Rydon Ltd completed last year.

Eye-witness accounts and mobile phone footage of the fire, suggest the blaze which is believed to have started on the fourth floor, was made worse as the cladding ignited and spread upwards to other floors at an alarming speed.

“Something appears to have gone drastically wrong,” said Cllr Ellison. “There are national regulations covering buildings like this which apply to all developments.”

He said that cladding was supposed to have fire stopping material behind it to prevent fires from spreading.

“This is a worldwide issue,” he said. “There have been fires like this in the Middle East which have led to strict controls on cladding.

“There are also others safety relating to matters like means of escape in the event of fire.

“It’s too soon to speculate, but this is likely to lead to a review across the whole UK about building procedures.”

Other areas of concern emering in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy include advice to Grenfell  residents to remain in their flats in the event of fire. Experts are saying the speed at which the fire spread both inside and outside the building means that residents should have exited the building as fast possible.

Manchester City Council has this week contacted the landlords of all former council tower blocks in the city ask for reassurances about their fire safety in the aftermath of the unfolding tragedy. Up to 77 people who were trapped in Grenfell Tower are still missing.

The authority is seeking to reassure residents that reviews are already taking place to ensure the safety of residential buildings in Manchester.

The council’s arms-length housing management company, Northwards Housing, has already begun systematic checks of fire risk management of each of the blocks they manage to ensure they are robust and residents know what to do in the event of a fire.

Joanne Roney, chief executive of Manchester City Council, said: “Residents should not be unduly concerned and the reviews of fire safety in Manchester’s residential blocks are a precautionary measure, and we a simply looking for reassurance that the systems in place are as robust as possible.”

Cllr Bernard Priest, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Following the horrendous events at Grenfell Tower this week we have contacted the landlords of former council blocks to request assurance that their fire measures are properly in place.

Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s assistant county fire officer and director of prevention and protection Geoff Harris said: “I want to express my deepest sympathies to all those affected by the tragic incident in London.

“Our thoughts are with the families of those who have lost loved ones and seen their homes destroyed and with the emergency services who continue to work in very challenging circumstances.

“I want to reassure people in Greater Manchester that incidents of this scale, involving people’s homes, are extremely rare.

“Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service works closely with local councils and housing providers to ensure all buildings are as safe from fire as possible, and that staff can advise residents about how to stay safe.

“We have assessed every high rise building in Greater Manchester and our officers and crews visit each one to make sure that they are familiar with the building in case they need to attend any fire or other incident that may happen there.

“We would urge everyone to ensure they have a working smoke alarm and if your smoke alarm sounds or if you become aware of a fire in another flat our advice is to ‘get out, stay out and call us out’.

“If you have a specific concern or feel vulnerable please call our Contract Centre on 0800 555 815 who will be able to provide advice or book you in for a Safe and Well Visit.”