A man has said he is scared to be in his own home after discovering it is a serious fire hazard.
David Tyson-Charteris has lived at The Anchorage in Southport for 14 years and believes the block of flats is the next “Grenfell waiting to happen.” The 57-year-old broke his neck in a skydiving accident nearly two decades ago, leaving him permanently in a wheelchair.
David who lives on the top floor of the building on Kingsway, and also owns another apartment in the same building, said that if there were a fire it would “rip through the place like a chimney”.
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David told the ECHO: “I bought them in good faith that they were safe to live in, and they are not. My view is if there is a fire in the bike shop down below which has lithium batteries it would go through this place like a chimney. It is just dried wood.
“I do live up here alone and once I’m in bed I can’t get out and I don’t think anyone should live here it is an accident waiting to happen.”
In February 2021 , Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service issued two enforcement orders, for the removal of the Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) and internal fire safety works. Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the government established the Building Safety Programme to make sure ACM cladding is replaced from high-rise buildings across the country to ensure the safety of residents.
The stairwell of The Anchorage also needs to be fireproofed with further work carried out in each apartment which David claims should have been done when the building was first constructed. Each apartment owner will have to pay £25,000 towards the refurbishment.
David said: “When I am not in my wheelchair I can’t get out of bed and it is scary, I have panic attacks anyway as I broke my neck sky diving in Madrid, so I get flashbacks to that when I get stressed.
David said he is now trying to establish if the apartments were built according to the original plans. He said: "It is a Grenfell waiting to happen”.
Mark Cunningham director for Anthony James Estate Agents the managing agent for the property said the building's fire registration was signed off by a control officer employed in a separate limited company and appointed by the developer. The company that developed the building has since been dissolved.
Southport Conservative MP Damien Moore said: “It is vital that people live in homes that make them feel safe, and that if defects are noticed, appropriate steps are taken to fix them as soon as possible.
“I am very sorry to hear of concerns relating to The Anchorage. Following my conversations with those involved, I have written to the Levelling Up Secretary, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, to seek urgent clarity on the regulations relating to the property. It is not right that some of my constituents do not feel safe in their homes, and I will continue to work with those affected to ensure that their concerns are heard at the highest level and that an effective solution is quickly found.”
Grey GR Limited Partnership, the freeholder of The Anchorage, did not want to comment.
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