Hounslow home to 19 'unsafe' buildings as Fire Commissioner calls for urgent change across London

By Hannah Davenport

14th Sep 2021 | Local News

14 of the blocks in Hounslow are over 18 metres tall.
14 of the blocks in Hounslow are over 18 metres tall.

THE London Fire Brigade (LFB) revealed there are currently 19 blocks of flats with fire safety failings in the borough of Hounslow.

The data comes after the London's Fire Commissioner called for urgent change in the building industry, as the number of unsafe blocks of flats in London passed an unacceptable milestone of 1,000.

Currently, 1,006 buildings in the capital have suspended the 'stay put' building design strategy, as the buildings are not safe enough for residents to stay inside during a fire.

These buildings are subject to an interim simultaneous evacuation strategy instead.

The majority of the buildings (818) are over 18 metres tall.

Of the 19 blocks in Hounslow, 14 are over 18 metres.

In London, 718 blocks are unsafe due to issues with cladding and the remainder have other fire safety defects.

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: "We are extremely concerned that more than four years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the number of buildings being identified with fire safety issues is increasing.

"The scale of issues being uncovered in buildings across the UK is worrying and there are much wider issues than just dangerous cladding.

"There is a far higher number of high-risk buildings in London than anywhere else in the country and it's clear that there has not yet been a complete culture change when it comes to fire safety in residential buildings."

Roe called on all building owners and managers to take urgent action to remediate their buildings if they are failing fire safety regulations.

He added: "It is completely unacceptable for residents to be burdened with the knowledge, and the fear that can bring, that their building may not be safe in the event of a fire."

Tower Hamlets recorded the highest number of dangerous blocks, at 162, whilst Richmond was lowest with no blocks currently recorded as unsafe.

The Brentford Towers Residents Association was set up in 2017, after the tragic events of Grenfell, to protect and promote the interest of Brentford residents and highlight issues surrounding their homes.

The Fire Brigade said they were unable to provide a list of the buildings currently under simultaneous evacuation, due to the potential risk of arson.

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