The failings were found at a tower block on the Ethelred Estate in Kennington
(Picture: Danny Robinson)A south London council has been criticised after firefighters found fire risk failings at a 20-storey tower block.
Firefighters found multiple failings of fire safety regulations at Ward Point tower in Kennington’s Ethelred Estate last month and served Lambeth Council with an enforcement notice ordering them to be fixed by May.
Among them were a “failure to provide and/or maintain adequate and clearly indicated emergency routes and exits” and “failure to take general fire precautions to ensure the safety of persons on the premises”.
Opposition councillors said it was “truly shocking” and said the council should take “immediate steps” to comply with the enforcement notice.
A spokesperson for the Labour-run council said it had already completed the main remedial work needed and that it expected to complete the required work ahead of time.
Other breaches found by firefighters include a failure to review the fire risk assessment, “failure in the effective management of the preventive and protective measures,” and a failure to maintain firefighting equipment.
An enforcement notice is used “where the degree of risk or harm from the situation is significant”, but is less serious than prohibition notices, which ban the use of buildings where there is “serious risk to life”.
The notice was served in December and was recently published on the London Fire Brigade’s register of notices.
Liberal Democrat Opposition leader Cllr Donna Harris said: “It is truly shocking that five years after the tragic events at Grenfell the London Fire Brigade has found Lambeth Council to have failed to ensure basic fire safety standards, including maintaining fire safety equipment and fire escapes, at a 20 storey tower block.
“Lambeth must take immediate steps to comply with the enforcement notice and inform residents about the fire safety precautions being taken in their block.
“It should also conduct an urgent review to identify any overdue fire risk assessments and reviews for other tower blocks in the borough.”
A council spokesperson said: “All deficiencies reported in the London Fire Brigade report have been addressed in their entirety and we are proactively working with the London Fire Brigade, local resident engagement and independent fire risk assessors to highlight and address fire, health and safety.
“We received the notice relating to Ward Point November 2022 and we have taken action to tackle the issues raised since then, completing and closing the main medium risk actions in December 2022.
“We expect the work to be completed before the completion date specified by the LFB.
“The remaining deficiencies were due to general disrepairs that could have happened at any time throughout the building lifecycle, more specifically article 14 of the LFB notice, items were in the communal means of escape, this was removed immediately.”
