Agenda item

Chair and Committee to discuss with officers.

The chair had requested an urgent discussion on fire safety in view of the Grenfell Tower fire.  Councillor Stephanie Cryan (Cabinet member for housing),  Gerri Scott (Strategic Director of Housing and Modernisation), Dave Markham (Director of Asset Management) and Tony Hunter (Head of Engineering) attended the committee. 

The cabinet member and housing officers presented on Southwark’s programme of fire safety work and discussed the still unfolding implications of the fire at Grenfell.  Committee members and members of Tenant Council asked questions and raised concerns that had been put to them by local residents since the fire. Tenant Council circulated a list of questions, which were discussed and responded to.

The following recommendations were agreed: 

1.  That the cabinet member orders a review of council high rise blocks in Southwark to ascertain the need for and cost of fitting sprinkler systems and any other fire safety measures in those buildings.  OSC assumes wider government guidance will be given but this review should not be delayed while that guidance is forthcoming.  We encourage Tenant Council to submit a letter to the cabinet member setting out any further representations on fire safety measures, and this should form part of the review  

2.  The cabinet member should consider making all fire risk assessments for high rise flats above 7 floors public via the council’s web site  

3.  The cabinet member should encourage TRAs to hold local meetings with fire fighters to review their fire evacuation arrangements and check that access routes are clear. 

4.  The cabinet member consults with Tenant Council  in order to find appropriate representatives to accompany officers on site visits where testing of cladding and building materials is taking place.  

5.  The council reviews best practice and current procedure around fire safety relating to scaffolding used on council buildings

6.  That the appropriate cabinet member reviews internal guidance documents in respect of both new build and refurbishment projects to ensure they are up to sufficient standard in respect of fire safety.

7.  That the leader and the cabinet member lobby the government to investigate and respond to  the cause of the Grenfell fire quickly and provide funding for fire safety solutions.