Fire safety enforcement notice served on Lewisham council tower block
The London Fire Brigade has served an enforcement notice to Lewisham Council in relation to fire safety issues at one of its 16-storey tower blocks.
Lewisham Homes, which manages homes on behalf of the council, was served the notice after fire safety officers flagged up a number of serious problems at the Marine Tower block in Abinger Grove, Deptford. These issues included the following:
- The fire risk assessment for the building was out of date and had not been reviewed
- Emergency exit routes were inadequately protected
- Fire doors were not properly maintained
These breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 were discovered after two residents lost their lives in a fire at the Marine Tower block last month.
If Lewisham Homes fails to make improvements, it could face a hefty fine from the London Fire Brigade. A spokesperson for the management organisation said:
“We are in receipt of the enforcement notice issued by the London Fire Brigade, following the fire at Marine Tower in February. We are implementing all the required actions and will fully comply with the notice by the set deadline.”
All of the basic requirements and responsibilities in relation to fire safety are generally covered as part of all fire safety training courses, so there is no reason why they should have been neglected at Marine Tower.