At a meeting on Thursday 28 November, Cabinet will consider a report that summarises implications and recommendations for local authorities and social housing providers, on fire safety and emergency planning.
This follows the conclusion of the Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire and publication of the Phase 2 Report in September.
Thanet District Council is a Registered Social Landlord with responsibility for approximately 3,400 properties across the district including 14 buildings over 11m tall. Six of these are residential tower blocks: Brunswick Court, Harbour Towers, Kennedy House, Staner Court and Trove Court, in Ramsgate; and Invicta House, Margate.
The council is also a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and as such has a duty to provide a response in the event of an emergency. In preparation, there is an obligation to undertake a risk assessment and maintain emergency response plans.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry report makes a number of recommendations that relate to both these functions of the council. In response, the council has completed an assessment of current arrangements against the findings of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 reports.
The Phase 1 report was aimed at addressing the responsibilities of social housing landlords. The council’s self assessment indicates that 12 of the 14 relevant recommendations made in Phase 1 are already complete. Two remaining recommendations; evacuation sounders in each flat and our fire door replacement programme, are partially complete and included in an approved programme of work. These actions are currently mitigated through the waking watch arrangements which are primarily in place due to the presence of non-compliant external wall insulation (EWI) on five of the council’s six tower blocks. The ongoing Tower Block Retrofit and Refurbishment Programme includes the removal, replacement and upgrade of the EWI.
A waking watch involves trained officers patrolling the buildings around the clock, to monitor for fires, as well as to initiate and support an evacuation if needed. To continue this service, in line with recommendations from Kent Fire and Rescue Service, the Cabinet report advises that there is now an increased waking watch presence. The additional estimated cost is £180,000 – to be paid from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The HRA budget is ring-fenced and funded directly from social and affordable housing rents and service charges.
Cllr Helen Whitehead, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing at Thanet District Council said: “The failings that led to Grenfell, and further continued with the management of the crisis will always be remembered; not only to ensure that we remember those lost and affected by an appalling and preventable tragedy, but also to ensure that the damage previously done to our central regulatory systems is repaired, and that residents across the country are never, ever again exposed to that level of risk.
“These are the lessons that the Grenfell Inquiry teaches us; and its transparency and clarity is important, and will be matched by our own. There has been a huge amount of work done in recent years to ensure that the safety of our residents remains the priority, as well as the huge strides forward we have taken to strengthen residents’ voices through our systems and our Tenant and Leaseholder Groups. Their work on all of our policies is recognised and greatly appreciated.
“Seeing Grenfell unfold was, for so many of us, a moment of horror and powerlessness and grief; but we reclaim that power in ensuring that such a tragedy is never repeated, and by continually prioritising resident safety; we invest in the waking watch and our emergency protocols because we invest in our residents, we invest in resident safety, and we invest in our resident’s lives and quality of life.
“This will always be the main priority for this administration, and we will always invest to protect.”
Following a review of the recommendations in the Phase 2 report that specifically relate to emergency planning, the council has identified some areas to focus on. These include additional training for all staff, improved community liaison and a review of communications protocols. As an active partner in the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum, there are established emergency plans and Thanet has responded well to previous emergencies.
Council officers have started to develop a detailed action plan for the improvement of the council’s plans and preparedness for a major emergency, aimed at addressing the points raised within the self assessment.
The full report is available on the council’s website.
