This report provides an update on the Council’s response following the Grenfell Tower fire in Kensington on 14^th June 2017 including action taken in relation to the Authority’s own housing stock and privately-owned high-rise residential blocks within the Borough boundaries.

Further to Minute 16 of the meeting held on 6 November 2019, the Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report whichprovided an update on the Council’s response following the Grenfell Tower fire in Kensington on 14 June 2017.  This included action taken in relation to the Authority’s own housing stock, other corporate buildings and schools, as well as wider work in partnership with the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) in respect of privately-owned high rise residential blocks within the Borough boundaries.

The report also set out the current position with regard to the work being undertaken to meet the requirements set out in the action plan in the Council’s Housing stock, corporate buildings and schools.  This included retro-fitting sprinkler systems, installing and upgrading fire alarms, fire risk assessments, ensuring fire safety was at the heart of the process for all Local Authority new-builds and bringing forward plans for the removal and replacement of cladding on Coley high rise to 2021/22.

The report updated the Committee on the progress that had been made on the four high-rise buildings:

·       St. Lawrence House (social housing accommodation).  Work to remove and replace the ACM cladding had been completed at the end of 2019.

• Queen’s Court (student accommodation).  Work to remove and replace the ACM cladding had been completed in March 2020.
• Hanover House (private residential accommodation).  Interim measures were in place in accordance with the current MHCLG guidance and were monitored regularly. Planning permission had been agreed in October 2020 and a Building Regulations application had been made for removal and replacement of the cladding.
• Crossway Point(social housing accommodation).  Work to remove and replace the ACM cladding had been delayed due to COVID-19 and remediation work was due to be finished in December 2020.

The report also detailed the actions that Council and its partners were planning to undertake going forward:

·       The Council would continue to undertake steps to obtain external wall details of all applicable buildings in response to the request from MHCLG in order to submit the required data by the extended deadline.

·       The Council would keep up to date with the latest Government guidance and take action where appropriate.

·       Regular communication and sharing of information between the Council and RBFRS, plus joint meetings with relevant stakeholders where required.

Resolved:     That the action taken and planned in respect of fire safety in tall buildings, as detailed in the report, be noted.