London Grenfell tower fire: Housing group reassures Coventry high-rise residents

WM Housing owns Whitefriars group which runs 24 tower blocks in Coventry



Thousands of residents have been reassured their high-rise homes are safe following the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower in London.

So far 17 people are confirmed dead after the tragic events in London which saw a 24-storey block of flats turned into an inferno.

Now the group which own Whitefriars has said it believes all 24 of its blocks in Coventry meet high standards of fire safety.

The tower blocks in Coventry are all run by Whitefriars, which is part of WM Housing.

It has told residents that it follows a very strict system to ensure the safety of their customers.

In a statement, WM Housing group said: “The group follows a very strict system to ensure the safety of our customers and we have a continuous programme of updating fire safety measures.

“This includes replacing fire doors where necessary and checking that measures to prevent fire spreading are in place.

“All of our high-rise blocks have annual fire safety checks and any safety work identified is undertaken as a matter of priority.

“West Midlands Fire Service also independently carries out checks from time-to-time and alerts us as to any further work identified by them, this is also undertaken rapidly.

“We inspect all fire doors and communal areas weekly to ensure they work correctly and are free from rubbish.

“We believe our customers should not be alarmed by the events in London and fire safety in our high-rise blocks is of great importance to us.

“At this time we do not know the cause of the fire in London, nor do we know why it spread in the way it did.

“At this stage we believe that all of our blocks meet high standards of fire safety and all refurbishment work is designed with fire safety in mind and meets the highest standards of quality.

“We will, though, be double checking our high rise stock through additional inspections to make sure that our blocks meet the highest standards of safety.”

The group added it will provide further information over the course of the next few days.

Fire safety information is available for residents on the WM housing website and they are advised to follow these steps:

Never leave your flat door open and unattended

Close all doors in corridors and on stairwells behind you and never prop them open. If you see a communal door open then please close it.

Do not leave rubbish or items in communal areas, unless we have specifically given permission. These can be a fire risk and, if there is a fire, prevent people from escaping easily.

They added that fire safety information displayed in tower blocks was important for residents to read and understand what to do in the event of a fire.

In my experience there are "lies", "damned lies" and "Whitefriars reassurances".

All I can say is that I wouldn't exactly be very happy living in one.

I've worked in enough hi-rises over the years to know that wherever I am I know the quickest way out, and b*gger what the fire-marshals say.

Fire service call for sprinklers in ALL tower blocks in the West Midlands after Grenfell Tower tragedy



Fire chiefs are calling for sprinkler systems to be installed in FOUR HUNDRED tower blocks across the West Midlands in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The Chief Fire Officer for the West Midlands, Phil Loach, met all seven local authorities on Thursday to review fire safety in medium and high-rise blocks.

They discussed the “robust arrangements” already in place to deal with fires, and agreed to lobby for sprinklers in all domestic and commercial buildings.

Mr Loach revealed that West Midlands Fire Service had received calls from worried members of the public living in tower blocks in Birmingham and across the wider region.

There are around 400 buildings classed as medium to high-rise – of six floors or above – here in the West Midlands, most of them in Birmingham.

High-rise fires in the region have resulted in five deaths and more than 260 injuries in the last five years.

“We have no significant known issues with tower blocks in the West Midlands area,” Mr Loach said.

“But to review that we met with all seven local authorities at our headquarters in Birmingham. We have robust arrangements in place, but obviously those arrangements were discussed.

“We have experienced an increase in calls from residents around reassurance and we will continue to engage with people.

“We certainly promote, both in planning and retrofitting, the use of sprinkler systems in both commercial and domestic buildings.

“The West Midlands Fire Authority has made clear its position on this issue. Through lobbying we have promoted, and we continue to champion it being brought into regulatory arrangements.

“We continue to feel that an effective protection mechanism is sprinklers and we will continue to lobby for them.”

Local councils are still failing to carry out emergency tower block inspections

Despite assurances from cabinet ministers that “teams of people” are urgently inspecting tower blocks across the UK, some councils have so far taken little action, the Observer has established.

Of 10 local authorities with significant numbers of tower blocks that were contacted, only three could confirm they had conducted any on-site inspections since Wednesday. Damian Green, the prime minister’s deputy, and Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, have claimed that councils have been inspecting the estimated 4,000 high-rise blocks across the country.

Authorities in Aberdeen, Sheffield and Haringey, north London have inspected their tower blocks to some degree, with more planned next week. But in Bristol, officials say they are “currently assessing what inspections, if any, we need to carry out”. In Harlow, Essex, council officers “will be hand-delivering letters to all tower block residents next week”. And in Barnet, London, officials could only say that there would be a “further urgent review” of cladding systems installed on their tower blocks.

Councils in Coventry, Sandwell, and the London boroughs of Newham and Brent were unable to say if they had carried out any inspections or even how many tower blocks they had.

More Coventry high-rise flats to be fitted with full sprinkler systems following Grenfell Tower fire



More high-rise flats in Coventry are set to be fitted with sprinklers following fire safety assessments.

Whitefriars, which runs 24 tower blocks in the city, has revealed it will be installing full sprinkler systems into two more blocks.

Last week, following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London, WM Housing, which owns Whitefriars, said that only two of its tower blocks had sprinkler systems.

But now the social housing landlord has told the Telegraph it will be installing more.

A spokesperson said: “We have not fitted sprinkler systems to all of our high-rise blocks.

“Our fire risk assessments use a nationally defined methodology to assess fire risk.

“In the case of Mercia House and William Batchelor House, we have installed sprinklers throughout due to Mercia House being above a shopping centre creating difficult evacuation should it be required to do so, and access for the emergency services.

“At William Batchelor House there is a high concentration of elderly people in the block meaning in the event of fire, should the fire service on attendance need to evacuate the block such evacuation may take longer than normal.

“As a result sprinklers were installed to provide added protection.”

WM Housing has now come to the conclusion that two other blocks need more fire safety measures.

The spokesperson added: “A similar assessment was made recently for Douglas House and Paul Stacey House where we are currently installing a full sprinkler system.

“Sprinklers are installed in all bin stores to our high-rise blocks.”

There was a fire in Paul Stacey House last November, see here:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=46745

There are many identical blocks in Coventry so why are they not also being fitted with sprinklers?

Truthfully imo they would find money to put them in if mps pms councilor s etc children or their selves are housed in them even the top man for the fire brigade said on the news all high rised flats should have sprinlers as it puts the fires out or contains the fires until they arrive. Then today May said there are more flats fitted with the same.

What concerns do city residents have about their homes?

The tragic Grenfell Tower fire has turned the country’s attention to tower blocks.

Most people have no experience of living in a high-rise building but now the spotlight is on the safety of blocks up and down the country.

But what is life really like in a tower block? We asked residents of high-rise flats in Coventry to tell us about their experiences.

Many have raised concerns about their homes following the tragic Grenfell Tower fire and there are some other worries including asbestos, escape routes and fire safety signs.

Simon Peter Brunning-Goggin has claimed he had to move out of his flat temporarily due to health and safety concerns.

He said: “I had to move out for six months after finding asbestos in the kitchen and bathroom.

“One good thing, I had letter from WM group saying flat is safe and follow instructions in entrance hall. We think we should have instructions on each floor.”

Susie Miller also had complaints about ventilation issues and suggested that it could cause problems in a fire.

She said: “It’s simply awful if you have neighbours that couldn’t care less about anyone but themselves.

“Cramming people into a building doesn’t work, but that's just my opinion and my experience of living in a block of flats.

“There is also the fact that those of us with children are more concerned about them falling off the balcony and the fact that if you have neighbours either side that smoke weed the smell comes through the vents. Actually how safe are vents in the case of a fire?

“If the smell of weed can get through then surely smoke or fire would?”

Tracey Clark has worries about that and the fire safety signs. She said: “I live on the 12th floor of a Whitefriars high rise. The building looks smart with full exterior cladding.

“Unfortunately there are no sprinklers apart from in the bin store.

“The fire exit signs are plastic sheet or stickers so would not be seen if the stairwell or corridors were full of smoke.

“I received a letter from WMHousing assuring the block is safe and advising the signs were illuminated with battery back up.

“They obviously didn’t check the block before composing the letter, which is worrying.”

All of these claims made by Whitefriars residents have been put to WM Housing.

Why won't Coventry landlord Whitefriars fit life-saving sprinklers in all 24 tower blocks and 17,000 homes?

THE housing association landlord at 24 Coventry tower blocks where 17,000 people live has declined to answer the Observer’s questions following the Grenfell Tower tragedy concerning a lack of potentially lifesaving sprinkler systems to tackle fire.

We asked WM Housing on Wednesday afternoon – after our initial questions in our report on Tuesday – why sprinkler systems are not fitted throughout at all its tower blocks. We asked if the group accepted it meant residents were more vulnerable to fire.

We then asked the group to identity for our readers the ‘trained fire assessors’ or consultants it worked with, and details of the ‘approved methodology’ and protocols it was working to.

We asked if having sprinkler systems at two of its blocks, where there is heightened vulnerability, was a tacit acceptance that sprinklers mean people are safer from fire risks.

We asked again what advice the group had received from the fire brigade and consultants.

The response yesterday was that the group had had a “change of mind” concerning responding to us, and it was “declining to comment further”. It said its previous response would be the “final statement we are making.”

Our front page this week raised questions as to why Coventry City Council inspections of properties above six floors in the next two weeks were EXCLUDING all Whitefriars tower blocks due to the housing association’s ‘assurances’ they were ‘fully compliant’, including that its cladding was of a different nature to Grenfell Tower.

A spokesperson for the Council said: “The City Council does not own any residential, or otherwise, tower blocks and the responsibility for fire risk assessments remains with the owner and operator of the tower block.

“In Coventry’s case, the vast majority of these are owned and operated by Whitefriars Housing Group which has made detailed statements on the actions it is taking.

“The Government has asked local authorities and registered providers (such as Whitefriars) to provide details of all tower blocks and their construction in their ownership and/or control. Both Whitefriars and the City Council have complied with this request. The City Council’s response was a nil response as we do not own any tower blocks. Whitefriars can confirm that none of the cladding on any of its tower blocks is of the type that was used at Grenfell, that needs to be tested. We will of course respond rapidly and positively to any further requests for safety checks.”

Whitefriars denies branding tower block sprinkler plea a "knee jerk reaction"

Whitefriars has denied that one of its officials said calls to retrofit sprinklers at all of its high rise residential buildings in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster was a “knee-jerk reaction”.

One senior councillor, who attended a private fire safety briefing, told the Telegraph that an official representing the landlord had used the phrase as councillors pushed the firm on why it would not commit to installing sprinklers in all of its buildings .

Whitefriars, which runs 24 tower blocks in the city , now has sprinklers installed at four of them, and has today confirmed it will be fitting the safety system at five more.

But a spokesman for Whitefriars denied its official had made the comment during last week’s meeting with the council and said its policy was to fit sprinklers wherever fire risk assessments recommended them.

The senior councillor, who did not want to be named, said: “The official said it would be a knee-jerk reaction and unnecessary to install sprinklers at all of its tower blocks.

“They said they would only do it where risk assessments recommended them.”

The councillor added: “Birmingham, Stoke and Leicester have all said they are going to install sprinklers. Why not install them in all high rise flats?

“Whitefriars are being slow off the mark. Things have changed drastically.”

Of course they denied it, they're Whitefriars. They would also deny it was Tuesday today if you were to ask them.

So true Dutchman.