A report providing an update on the Council’s ongoing work in relation to fire safety in tall buildings and the partnership with the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The Committee received a report which provided an update on the Council’s ongoing response in the private sector, following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.  This included action taken in relation to privately-owned high-rise residential blocks within the Borough boundaries and our partnership with the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS).

The report explained that RBFRS and the six Berkshire Unitary Authorities had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2018, which had been updated in 2022 with the purpose of strengthening the draft Protocol for Fire Safety Enforcement and putting into place a joint plan of action with regards to the roles and responsibilities of each party.  In Reading, four residential buildings over 18 metres had been identified as having ACM cladding which failed the required fire safety standard and this had all been removed by May 2022.  As part of the government’s Building Safety Programme buildings with other types of cladding systems and other external wall systems (EWS) were now being considered and 33 buildings in Reading had been identified as non-compliant and possibly requiring remedial works.  The Council and RBFRS had been monitoring progress with works.

The report explained that the Council and RBFRS would continue to work on high-risk buildings which contained deficiencies related to fire safety. The Council would review on a case by case basis whether formal enforcement would be required under the Housing Act or our other powers, following the statutory guidance and the Housing Standards Enforcement Policy.  RBFRS would continue to have regular communication to discuss progress with the Building Safety Programme and individual properties.  The Council would continue its efforts to obtain external wall systems details of all applicable buildings in response to the request from Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and take action where appropriate. This included any new changes derived from recommendations in the final Grenfell Inquiry report and from the new Building Safety Regulator.

The report added that once this work had been completed the focus would shift to identify and work on other priority areas, which could include buildings over 11 metres tall, residential conversions or flats above commercial properties.  The Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities had awarded New Burdens funding of £47,049 for financial year 2023/24 to drive the remediation of unsafe high-rise private sector buildings and some of this funding would be used to deal with backlogs in those teams where staff efforts had been diverted from their usual roles.

Resolved – That the position be noted.