City council pledges £31m to retro-fit sprinklers in tower blocks post-Grenfell

Birmingham City Council is to retro-fit sprinkler systems into its residential tower blocks in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London which has so far claimed the lives of 79 people.

City council leader John Clancy has confirmed it will carry out urgent inspections at the 213 blocks of flats it owns to assess what work needs to be undertaken.

Cllr Clancy said the authority was prepared to find up to an estimated £31m in order to complete the retro-fit measures, which could also include other fire suppression measures.

The council leader wants Britain’s biggest councils to lobby the Government to help pay for fire suppression measures in all of the country’s local authority residential tower blocks and has written to the leaders of Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield councils asking for their support.

The nine cities plus Birmingham form the Core Cities group, representing the largest councils in the UK and are home to scores of tower blocks.

Even if Government money is not forthcoming then the city council intends to prioritise council spending on a rolling programme in order to install sprinklers.

One idea under consideration if Government funding is not forthcoming is to pay for the tower block fire prevention strategy from capital receipts – cash raised through selling assets owned by the council.

Cllr Clancy said: “The dreadful events in London have understandably triggered an outburst of public anger and demands that councils need to do far more to protect tenants living in high-rise blocks.

“As a council we have a duty to provide the best possible fire protection for our tenants, and we will do whatever it takes to keep people safe.

“But the cost of doing this for all local authorities with tower blocks is certain to be substantial and beyond the means of austerity-hit councils to afford in a timely fashion.

“The Government should accept this is a national emergency that fully justifies establishing a fund to allow councils to fit sprinkler systems as a matter of urgency.”

He said if the Government failed to respond appropriately, then the council would shelve work on less-important building projects in order to make the tower blocks safe.

“It should also be recognised that a city-wide programme to fit fire-suppression measures will generate significant employment opportunities for Birmingham, creating skilled jobs and apprenticeships and underpinning the council’s commitment to inclusive economic growth,” he added.

Housing officers have written to all tower block tenants explaining safety visits will be taking place and to reassure them all their questions will be answered.

All Birmingham councillors and MPs have also been briefed, enabling them to reassure people with concerns in their own wards and constituencies.