Brent Council has agreed a £10m programme of fire safety improvements like sprinklers, smoke detectors and alarms on tower blocks in the area.
None of Brent Council’s 37 high-rise blocks were found to be covered in dangerous cladding in the wake of the Grenfell disaster.
They have all also been deemed fire risk compliant but the council wants to ensure “that Brent is among the very best for fire safety in high rises”.
Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said: “Grenfell changed everything. When it comes to fire safety, ‘good enough’ is no longer good enough.
“Here in Brent we have 37 high rise blocks and they’re all fire risk compliant. But we also have lots of people asking whether those rules and regulations are actually up to standard, and who can blame them?
“So we’ve found the money to go above and beyond what’s required, to ensure that residents are safe – and feel safe – in their homes.
“We can’t afford to wait any longer for Government to take the lead, which is why we’re committing £10m to this work, right now.”
The £10m is in addition to the almost £10m which has already been invested in fire safety works – such as fire doors, fire detection systems, lighting and signs – in Brent blocks since 2012.
While no council block in Brent has used the Aluminium Composite Material (ACM), which has been the subject of recent Government tests, a number of blocks run by registered housing providers in Brent have.
The London Fire Brigade has visited these blocks and advised that evacuation of these blocks is not necessary due to the standard of fire safety measures in place in the blocks, all of which are new-builds and not retro-fitted properties.
A full report detailing the programme and schedule of works for the enhanced package of fire safety measures for Brent’s high rise blocks will be released in the autumn.
