Residents have waged war over the installation of new fire doors they say are unsafe.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is in the process of installing more than 800 fire doors across at its apartment blocks. It is part of a £1.9 million housing programme that will see 1,100 fire doors fitted across the city.
However, the tenants of Honeywall House, Penkhull House and Southern House, in Penkhull, have refused council contractors access to their homes to put in new front doors.
According to local newspaper, This is Staffordshire, tenants said the council has supplied "shoddy" materials and the new doors can easily be forced open.
Concerns were addressed at a meeting between the two parties last week.
Graham Barrett, aged 60, of Southern House, said: "The council has spent very little money to buy cheap, shoddy material.
"They have already installed fire doors, but now they want to replace our front doors with the same type of material.
"But the new doors are not as good as the ones we already have. They are not going to be secure. Someone could easily force them open.
Writing on a comment forum for the paper after the meeting, blogger RubyThursday said: “I attended the meeting and was shocked by the attitude and certain comments made by representatives of the council. we were left with the ditinct [sic] message that as council tennants [sic] we should be greatful for the ‘inferior’ doors because we don’t have to pay for them. they agreed however that they would not have them in their own homes.”
A spokesman for the council told info4fire the move did not come about due to a visit from the local fire service, but a risk assessment.
Councillor Gwen Hassall, Stoke-on-Trent City Council cabinet member for housing and neighbourhoods, said: "Fire doors are being installed in properties across the city following a risk assessment. We recently met with residents and have taken on board the comments. We will continue to work with residents on the program of improvements.The fire doors are a legal requirement."
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