Council says fire safety action needed for Northampton flats

Cladding on some blocks of flats in Northampton does not comply with the latest fire safety laws, a council has said.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), which owns the blocks, said recent fire risk assessments found some required remedial action.

It is working with Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH), which manages the flats, to take "swift action".

The council said it would keep tenants "engaged and updated" on the issues.

It has not yet revealed how many blocks and tenants are affected or where they are.

WNC said council-owned high-rise flats were assessed in 2018 and found to be compliant.

But in January this year, changes to fire safety legislation meant the government issued updated guidelines around safety standards for external wall materials of all buildings over 11m tall or seven storeys, prompting the need for fresh fire risk assessments.

A recent Cladding Safety Scheme government pilot saw specialists carry out a fire risk assessment of external walls.

This identified that some blocks have a type of cladding - which is commonly used across the UK - that will require "remedial actions to ensure they remain compliant with the latest fire safety legislation", the council said.

"NPH and WNC are now taking swift action including the completion of fire risk assessments to confirm those properties affected," a statement said.

The council added that meetings would be held with all affected tenants in the coming weeks to discuss their needs and that NPH was working with Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service to "review their approach to future fire incidents at the buildings and making future arrangements for the cladding".

NPH chief executive Steve Feast said: "Following the fire risk assessment we are now working to understand the implications so we can act to address them quickly and effectively and have set up a dedicated project team to manage these issues."

WNC deputy leader Adam Brown, who is also responsible for housing, said: "We are prioritising our response to these recent changes in legislation to ensure our residents are safe and supported, working with our partners at NPH so that tenants are kept engaged and updated on these issues as they progress."

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