The horrendous fire at Grenfell Tower is a huge shock and
disaster for London to say nothing of the residents who have lost everything. So
what lessons are there for Waltham Forest?
1.
Building Regulations appear to be wrong but all
new buildings have to be checked to ensure they comply with the regulations.
The Government needs to urgently find the cause and get the regulations sorted
out. This is very worrying for Waltham Forest with so many new buildings going
up.
2.
The council needs to ensure the building
regulations are being applied and the Government needs to urgently check they
are effective regulations.
London Plan - this needs to be amended to stop forcing local authorities to build high rise tower blocks in Town Centres.
London Plan - this needs to be amended to stop forcing local authorities to build high rise tower blocks in Town Centres.
3. Town Centre – the plans for a 29 storey tower
block over the Mall shopping centre should be scrapped immediately. If it was
built and a fire broke out there would not be enough space for the emergency
services to operate. The railways would be affected and the Town Centre’s
commerce would grind to a halt. This is not a price worth paying to house even
more people in our congested Borough.
4.
Strettons’ plans for a 13 storey block at the
gyratory junction of Hoe Street and St Mary Road should be scrapped. There
would be no space for the emergency services and they would block key roads bringing
Walthamstow to a halt.
5.
97 Lea Bridge Road – this scheme for 18 storey
tower block should be stopped while a review is carried out of the design – are
there 2 staircases and sprinklers in the blocks and what cladding is being
used?
6.
Marlowe Road – the current building of 8 storey
blocks at the base of the Northwood Tower should be stopped as they occupy the
space needed by the emergency services if a fire developed in the tower block. Is
the cladding, which improved the look of the building many years ago fire
proof?
7.
John Walsh and Fred Wigg towers in Leyton should
not be refurbished but demolished and decent low rise housing provided for
residents. Grenfell Tower shows what could happen if these tower blocks are
refurbished.
8.
Councillors need to take more notice of what new
buildings are going on in their patch and shout loudly if they have concerns
for the safety of the occupants of the buildings.
We all need to shout loud and clear that the murder of all
these people in West London is unforgivable and was avoidable. Urgent action is
needed to establish the facts and then change our building techniques so it can
never happen again.
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