A UK council is facing a bill of almost £20 million after fire safety failings were discovered at a block of flats it owns.

fire safety issues

Mansfield District Council bought the apartment block in Clapham, London, for investment purposes in 2017, however, following an independent assessment of the building in 2018, a number of fire safety issues were found.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) also allegedly discovered several “undisclosed” failings with the building and issued a Note of Fire Safety Deficiencies.

Rebuilding via fire safety standards

The council insisted that it has taken measures to ensure the building is still safe to occupy

Neither the council nor LFB has disclosed their exact concerns regarding the building, but it is thought they relate to the “internal structures”, with residents adding that there are issues “inside the walls”.

It is thought that the walls and flooring will need to be ripped out in each apartment and rebuilt according to current fire safety standards. The council insisted that it has taken measures to ensure the building is still safe to occupy, including employing 24-hour security to monitor the building and alert residents in the event of a fire.  

planning and regulation

The residential building was bought by the council for £5.95 million in 2017. Constructed in the same year, the building is made up of 40 apartments spread across three blocks, with additional business space on the ground floor.

While some of the flats have been sold, a 2018 document revealed that the council receives around “£300,000 in annual rental income from the property”. According to Lambeth Council, the planning and regulation of the building would have been assessed based on pre-2017 standards.

fire statements

Planning permission for the building was given in 2012, but since the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, developers are required to submit “fire statements” in their planning applications for high-rise buildings.

To carry out the remedial work, residents at the building have been told they will need to temporarily leave their homes. Initially, they were told to vacate in 2021, but this was then extended to August 2022. Additional delays mean that residents will have to wait until May 2023 before the remedial work begins.

addressing delays

It’s going to be very intrusive work, the floors, ceilings, and walls have got to come out of the building"

The continual delays have caused some concern among residents of the building. One resident, Charlotte Veal, who bought her flat via a shared ownership agreement alongside her partner in 2017, told reporters, “Our lives have been on hold during this situation we want to move out."

“We’ll be moving out for between six months and a year. Everything has got to be ripped out of the flats and we’ve got to take everything out of our own. It’s going to be very intrusive work, the floors, ceilings, and walls have got to come out of the building.”

accommodation costs and fees

Mansfield District Council has reiterated that it will cover all accommodation costs and fees of residents while the work is being carried out. A spokesperson for the council said, “Following an independent assessment of the building in 2018, the council took immediate action to address several fire safety concerns and keep tenants and residents safe in their homes."

“The council has worked co-operatively with the London Fire Brigade and with tenants to ensure additional temporary fire protection measures are in place, so the property is safe to occupy until the remedial works have been completed.”