Nearly 500 high rise social housing blocks in London do not have a valid fire risk assessment in place, according to a BBC London investigation.
Freedom of information request sent to all 32 London boroughs show that at least ten councils have been failing to carry our fire risk assessments. The BBC asked each authority for information on:
• the number of blocks they had over six storeys
• when each was last refurbished
• the date of the last fire risk assessment for each block
• the official in each authority responsible for ensuring compliance with the Fire Safety Order
The revelations come almost three months after a fire at Lakanal House claimed the lives of six people. The fire threw the spotlight on older residential tower blocks, especially those like Lakanal House with
two-storey flats arranged in a ‘scissor’ design.
To date, 26 councils have provided responses to the requests for information.
