A fire at a block of flats in Barking Riverside in June raised concerns that lessons hadn’t been learned from the Grenfell Tower blaze (credit: @syeddislam)
Her Majesty announced her government’s programme yesterday, which included a commitment to bring forward legislation on building safety standards.
The Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, which caused 72 deaths, is said to have put pressure on boroughs to ensure homes are safe for residents.
Earlier this year a serious fire at a block of flats in Barking Riverside raised concerns that lessons had not been learned in the past two years.
Barking and Dagenham Leader, Councillor Darren Rodwell, who is also London Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Planning, said: “We welcome the government moving forward with new laws on building safety – although we clearly need to see the details behind the plans.
Darren Rodwell
“London boroughs are determined to make sure all residents are safe – and feel safe – in their homes. Following the fire at Grenfell Tower, boroughs have put immense effort into carrying out essential remedial works in their local areas.
“But it has long been clear that more action is needed at a national level, which is why we’ve repeatedly called for legislation to resolve ongoing safety issues since our initial response to the Hackitt Review’s call for evidence in October 2017.
“We look forward to the government clarifying the scope of buildings to be covered under the new regime and the resources that will be made available to support this vital work. The government must listen to councils’ expertise and work with us to address safety concerns in our communities.”
