Agenda item

(Director of Housing) To consider the attached report.

 

Officer Report – Page 53

 

(a)        CLG Letter to Councillor D Stallan (then Housing Portfolio Holder) – page 63

 

(b)        Essex County Fire & Rescue Service Letter to Councillor J Knapman – page 65

 

(c)        Essex County Fire and Rescue Service Letter to P Ledger – page 67

The Panel received a report from the Assistant Director of Housing (Property) regarding Fire Safety in Flat Blocks.

 

In January 2010, following consultation with the Housing Scrutiny Panel, the then Housing Portfolio Holder agreed a policy on fire safety in flat blocks. The policy stated that personal belongings, fitted or loose lay carpets, mats and any other items stored in common parts of flats be prohibited and removed, with the exception of the following concessions agreed with the Working Fire Safety Officer of the Essex Fire and Rescue Service:

 

(1)        Pictures hung on the wall, provided that they did not contain glass in the frame;

 

(2)        Mats placed outside front doors, provided that these were rubber backed (non slip) and have a chamfered edge all around;

 

(3)        Curtains at windows that were flame retardant; and

 

(4)        Non-flammable items which were aesthetically pleasing stored in recesses away from any means of escape routes, and not on window cills.

 

Letters were sent to all tenants and leaseholders in the blocks advising them of these concessions. Following the introduction of that policy, a small number of residents requested further review as they felt the policy was too risk averse and prevented them from making their flat blocks feel more homely.

 

In January 2011, the then Housing Portfolio Holder temporarily suspended the policy relating only to carpets in the common parts until such time as a further feasibility study was carried out.

 

The former Housing Portfolio Holder sent a letter to the Housing Minister in March 2011 expressing the concerns of members about the lack of clarity and guidance available to local authorities when assessing fire safety in flat blocks following the regulatory reform (Fire Safety) Order. A response was received from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in July 2011. The response made reference to the Local Government Improvement and Development (LIGD) part of the Local Government Group being given grant funding to develop and own practical and proportionate fire safety guidance specifically for residential buildings.

 

Fire Safety Guidance

 

The Local Government Group’s fire safety guidance advised that:

 

(a)   Very few deaths occurred from fires in a neighbour’s flat or the common part;

 

(b)   This was due to fire separation walls;

 

(c)   Common parts should therefore be free of all sources of ignition and material that could help spread flames;

 

(d)   Nearly all deaths occurred in flat in which the fire started; and

 

(e)   It was strongly discouraged that smoke detectors should be installed in common parts as this led to false alarms, chaotic evacuation and possible complacency from residents.

Additional guidance had also been sought from Due Diligence, a specialist company employed by the Council to undertake fire risk assessments. They advised that along with allowing carpets to be fitted, there should be a clear policy involving regular monitoring. Their advice went onto say that there should be a clear policy which would stipulate that these were professionally fitted using non-flammable adhesives and inspected on a regular basis for wear and tear.

 

In October 2011 the Environment and Street Scene Portfolio Holder made reference to a letter she had received from the Essex Fire and Rescue Service which suggested that it was acceptable to allow carpets in common parts, subject to a satisfactory risk assessment. In light of this, the Housing Scrutiny Standing Panel asked that the report be deferred until such time as the contents of that letter could be reviewed. Upon receipt of the letter by officers a further letter was sent to the Essex Fire and Rescue Service seeking clarification on a number of points, particularly seeking guidance on examples of where it may be acceptable for carpets to be installed in common parts.

 

A response to this letter from officers had been received and all the correspondence was considered by the Scrutiny Panel.

 

Feasibility Study – Smoke Alarms

 

In line with the decision of the previous Housing Portfolio Holder in January 2011, a feasibility study had been carried out into the cost of providing mains wired smoke detectors in individual flats, maisonettes and common parts to flat blocks. This decision would sit favourably with the guidance from the Local Government Forum and Due Diligence if it did not include alarms in the common parts.

 

Option 1 – Smoke alarms individual flats and maisonettes only

 

The Council was currently installing smoke detectors with individual dwellings. Only 500 properties had benefitted so far, with a further 427 sheltered accommodation homes for older people.

 

• Cost of providing mains operated smoke detectors in each individual flat/maisonette was around £1,046/825
• Cost of providing mains operated smoke detectors in all individual council properties was around £1,810,900
• Capital cost of installing smoke alarms in a 10 year replacement cost cycle
• Testing of smoke alarms equated to £92,600 per annum

 

Option 2 – Smoke alarms in individual flats and maisonettes, linked to alarms in the common parts

 

• Installation costs for all blocks of flats with 2 storeys or less would be around £567,450
• Installation costs for all blocks of flats with 3 storeys or more would be around £2,842,500
• The total cost of providing smoke alarms in individual flats and maisonettes, linked to smoke alarms in the common parts, would be around £3,409,950
• There would also be an ongoing cost to the Council in testing these alarms, which equated to around £185,000 per annum.

 

As part of the investigations into what other local authorities were doing, officers had found that virtually all local authorities and housing associations were adopting the zero tolerance approach, whereby the common parts were to remain as sterile environments. However, one neighbouring authority Harlow District Council, had adopted a slightly different approach whereby these blocks that already have carpets fitted, as long as:

 

(i)         they were in good condition, fitted professionally and did not present a trip hazard; and

 

(ii)        the flats had smoke detectors; and

 

(iii)       the main entrance had a door entry security system.

 

That authority was not currently allowing any further requests for carpets to be installed irrespective of the other measures being in place.

 

It was therefore recommended that the council considered undertaking a programme of installing smoke detectors in all properties, funded from any resources arising from HRA Self Financing, along with other funding priorities, which would be considered by the Housing Portfolio at a later date.

 

Shared Services

 

It was advised that there may be an opportunity of working in conjunction with Harlow District Council, whereby the role of undertaking fire risk assessments could be undertaken collectively, saving resources. The neighbouring authority would undertake the assessments and the District Council would save on the cost of employing consultants and overtime for staff. A preliminary meeting had already taken place.

 

RECOMMENDED:

 

That the following recommendations be made to the Housing Portfolio Holder on the policy relating to fire safety in common parts of flat blocks:

 

(1)        That the Council adopts the Policy on Fire Safety in Flat Blocks, agreed by the former Housing Portfolio Holder in January 2010, namely:

 

That the Council continues to enforce the removal of personal belongings and any other items stored in common parts of flats, with the exception of the following concessions as put forward by the Workplace Fire Safety Officer of the Essex Fire and Rescue Service:

 

(a)        Pictures hung on the wall, provided that they do not contain glass in the frame;

 

(b)        Mats placed outside front doors, provided that these are rubber backed (non slip) and have a chamfered edge all around;

 

(c)        Curtains at windows that are flame retardant; and

 

(d)        Non-flammable items which are aesthetically pleasing (e.g. plant pots) stored in recesses away from any means of escape routes, and not on window cills.

 

(2)        That the Council undertakes a programme of installing smoke detectors in all properties, funded from any resources arising from HRA Self Financing, along with other funding priorities, which will be considered by the Housing Portfolio Holder at a later date;

 

(3)        That smoke alarms are not installed in common parts of flat blocks in line with the recommendations within the Local Government Group Guidance document “Fire Safety in Purpose Built Flat Blocks;” and

 

(4)        That the Director of Housing explore further a joint working approach to fire safety risk assessments in flat blocks with Harlow District Council.