Stirling Council Leader, Councillor Scott Farmer, opened the Council meeting earlier today with a statement of reassurance on fire safety measures and the precautionary steps being taken to ensure the safety of residents, saying:
“Following the horrendous events at Grenfell Tower, London, I felt it was important to convey a statement of reassurance to our communities, especially those residing in flatted accommodation, that the Council is taking a pro-active approach in reviewing our fire safety measures across tenures.
“Within our housing portfolio there are 1,360 properties with external wall insulation; the majority of these are traditional two storey properties. All external cladding systems used were direct-fixed systems with a cement-based external render applied directly to the insulation.
“We have a limited number of five storey properties and three of these are externally insulated. Each has a different insulation system but they all used cement-based render applied directly to the insulation boards. One property at Mayfield Court is currently subject to further testing on the materials used.
“It has been suggested that rain screen panelling was a major factor in the Grenfell Tower fire and I can confirm that none of this panelling has been used on any properties in our portfolio.
“Following discussions with Fire and Rescue Scotland, we have commenced the installation of linked heat and smoke detectors in all of our five storey properties, along with the installation or upgrading of emergency lighting.
“Last week the Council issued letters to residents within five storey blocks in Stirling, concerning housekeeping and stressing the need to keep closes clear for fire safety reasons.
“Council staff and Fire and Rescue Scotland colleagues are currently working through proposed inspections of four and five storey blocks, undertaking precautionary checks and upgrading prevention in properties as appropriate to ensure they are as safe as they can be.
“Traditional hall accommodation and more recent new build accommodation at the University of Stirling were recently inspected and, as of 16 June 2017, no issues of concern were raised.
“Properties which are deemed to be of higher risk, such as homeless hostels, already have integral fire detection systems and sprinkler systems in place.
“After discussions with Stewart Carruth, Chief Executive, the Council will be communicating with private landlords about their responsibilities around fire safety, including HMOs and Fire Safety Regulations.
“In summary, there are no properties which appear to be affected in the manner which is understood to have contributed to the fire at Grenfell Tower, London. We will continue to remain vigilant and aim to minimise risks around fire safety for everyone in our communities, and will continue to take advice and guidance as the national discussion progresses.”
Council Leader provides reassurance on fire safety
