The Mall - Town Centre Update 7

 

IS A 34 STOREY OFF SITE CONSTRUCTED BLOCK SAFE?

What lessons can we learn from the Grenfell tragedy that might impact on our Town Centre? Surely until a full understanding has been published and the necessary amendments to the Building Regulations have been put into effect no tower blocks should be built. Let alone a 34 storey one! How would residents be rescued if a fire broke out? The London Fire Brigade ladders only reach 10 storeys.

London Fire Brigade

Cladding problems around the country are so bad that many blocks have been evacuated and others need a constant fire watch at vast cost. This has now impacted on the housing market as many owners are now finding they are unable to sell their property.

Cladding impacts the housing market

The Grenfell public inquiry is still ongoing and has reached Phase 2 where they are examining the causes of the fire.

Grenfell Inquiry

Grenfell in pictures

BBC reports Grenfell

Hounslow Planning Department gave permission for the very large housing complex called the Paragon in Brentford, but it has now been discovered to have a range of fire and building safety issues and 900 residents have had to be re- housed. Will this happen in Walthamstow?

Paragon Estate Evacuated

900 residents asked to leave

The Mall Planning Application

There is only a short statement in the Design and Access Document in Section 5.13 about fire safety, which boils down to residents have to stay in the block and rely on sprinklers to put out any fire. The London Fire Brigade's ladders only reach to the 10th floor so there will be 24 storeys they can't reach externally. Is this adequate considering what happened at Grenfell?