Lord Porter, the LGA’s building safety spokesman, responds to the Government consultation on sprinklers and other fire safety measures in high-rise blocks.
“Residents have a right to be safe and to feel safe in their homes and automatic fire suppression systems, which can include sprinklers, can offer that strong reassurance. We are pleased the Government has listened to the LGA and fire professionals and plans to lower the height at which sprinklers are required in new buildings.
“Those living in older blocks deserve the same level of protection and the Government also needs to commit to helping councils with the costs of retrofitting sprinklers in older tower blocks, as it has done in respect of remedial work for social housing blocks with flammable cladding.
“Providing councils with £4 million to carry out the vital task of identifying tower blocks with other forms of dangerous cladding is positive. The Government also needs to make sure it fully protects leaseholders living in private buildings from the potentially crippling cost of removing dangerous cladding from their homes.”