Fire Safety Update 10.07.2017

Following our last update on 27 June, we are continuing our focus on fire safety for our residents. Below is a summary of the action we have taken to date:

• We have made the decision to install fire alarms in all 17 of our high-rise blocks (including St George’s Court which does not have ACM cladding but is still a high-rise block over 6 storeys). Further details, including the roll out plan across the blocks will be provided in due course.
• The 24 hour security put in place on 23 June to provide a ‘wakeful watch’ to raise the alarm in case of a fire is still in place and will remain so at each block until the fire alarm is installed.
• We have commissioned a specialist fire safety company to undertake in-depth (Type 3 and Type 4) Fire Risk Assessments (FRA’s) across the 16 blocks.
• Following the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) checks at our 16 high-rise blocks clad with ACM, our repairs and maintenance team have been out addressing any remedial fire safety works identified and this work is almost complete.
• Caretakers at each block are visiting individual properties to check smoke alarms and provide general fire safety advice in homes. Please allow them access to do this and inform them of any changes to your circumstances that we need to be aware of, such as a health condition that is now impacting on someone’s mobility, or if someone in your household has had a baby.
• We are liaising with GMFRS, Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester housing providers regarding other measures, including sprinkler systems, and we will keep you updated on these discussions.
• We have compiled answers to the questions we have been asked most frequently which you can read here.

Cladding update

We have removed sections of the ACM cladding from low level areas of some of our blocks. Cladding investigations are still on-going and further testing is now taking place at the Building Research Establishment (BRE) on the full cladding system (including the insulation). A further update on the testing can be found on the government website here.

At this stage there is no clear guidance on what cladding systems provide the best and safest solution. We have therefore taken the decision to halt the removal of cladding until we have clearer guidance and the results of the latest tests. This does not mean that we will stop our own review into the most suitable options, and we will continue to do this with our appointed contractor and other specialist teams who are advising us, as well as working with our housing colleagues across Greater Manchester and the Fire Service.

Where cladding has already been removed, we will be looking to install a temporary solution which will be a non-combustible product, to protect the buildings until such time as a permanent solution has been identified.

Next resident drop-in session’s week commencing 17 July

We will continue to keep you updated as things develop and will be scheduling further resident drop-in sessions at our high-rise blocks the week commencing 17 July.

We appreciate the continued support and patience of our high-rise residents at this time and we ask that you continue to raise any issues of concern with your caretakers.