LREF 2017: London’s deputy mayor for housing and planning says City Hall will answer questions around high-rise residential towers, while Lambeth says it is “conducting review into stock”, in the wake of the fatal fire in west London yesterday.
James Murray said City Hall would ensure there were responses to the questions asked.
“Clearly there are going to be many questions, and those questions do need to be answered,” he said. “Our initial focus is on rescue and recovery. There are questions that have been asked and City Hall is going to make sure there are responses.”
Lambeth and all other London borough will review medium- and high-rise residential stock in the wake of the fire at the Grenfell Tower, said Sue Foster, Lambeth’s strategic director for neighbourhoods and growth.
Speaking at LREF, she said: “We are reviewing all our medium- and high-rise stock, as other London boroughs will be doing. It could, subject to the outcome of review, lead to changes in how we refurbish our stock.”
She added: “It is about working collaboratively across London to move forward and give our residents confidence that they are living in safe homes.”
She said that Lambeth had 32,000 homes and while the borough’s first thoughts were to support to Kensington & Chelsea, it was also trying to reassure residents. She said all stock had up-to-date fire-risk assessments, but that the borough needs to reinforce means of escape and ensure residents know what to do.
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