Emergency prohibition orders placed on a number of flats in Devonport have now been lifted.
Plymouth City Council has now removed the orders placed on 43 properties within the Latitude 52 building on Albert Road. It follows the completion of a number of emergency measures by the freeholder and management company, to reduce immediate concerns regarding risk associated with fire.
The building was brought to the Council’s housing improvement team’s attention last week by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service following planned works in relation to external wall systems of high rise buildings.
As a result of the notice being served, the fire detection system is now working, a ‘waking watch’ system is in place and all combustible material from main escape stairwells and the atrium have been removed.
An assessor has been on site this week to carry out a full assessment as well as support writing a new fire strategy for the building.
The Housing Improvement Team yesterday visited residents within the block to discuss and update them.
Since the orders were issued, the Council and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have been working with the freeholder and management company to resolve the immediate concerns. But while these have been addressed, more work is likely to be needed within the block.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have revoked the prohibition notice on the flats being used commercially, but the notice concerning the underground car parking remains in place.
Matt Garrett, Service Director of Community Connections at Plymouth City Council said: “We’d like to thank residents for their patience and understanding while we worked to resolve these issues. We know it must have been a bit of a shock to find your home being served with a notice of this nature, but no one can afford to take any risk when it comes to fire safety - especially in towers.
“We are also asking for a bit more patience and access so we can carry out some more inspections to flats within the building.”
Further inspections will allow the team to assess if there are any other hazards within individual flats and if necessary, ask for improvements to be carried out.
Wayne Rawlins, Area Manager at Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: “We will always work with residents and management companies to keep people in their homes, but where the risks are so great we do take action in order to keep people safe from fire. Our website is a good source of information for landlords to understand what their responsibilities involve in keeping people safe, as well as providing fire safety information for residents."
For more information on fire safety advice within high rise buildings visit high rise