Southwark Council has released details of the fire safety work it is carrying out on Perronet House, one of the three ‘scissor design’ blocks on which it was served enforcement notices by the London Fire Brigade in August, in the wake of the fatal fire at Lakanal House.
The council says the fire risk assessment process has now been completed, and work to act on its findings, as well as the requirements identified in the enforcement notice, is well underway. This includes: the removal of obstructions on balconies and corridors; the upgrading of fire doors to include self-closing devices, intumescent strips and cold smoke seals; the installation of fire breaks in ceiling voids; and fire-stopping measures in compartment walls and floors.
The council is also acting on a recommendation from the London Fire Brigade to install in tenants homes hard wired smoke and heat detectors appropriate for a two level maisonette without a protected internal stair, while leaseholders will be offered these at cost price.
Commenting on the progress of the work, deputy leader of Southwark Council, councilor Kim Humphreys, said: "We have tried to get on with the work at Perronet House and other blocks as quickly as we can, to coordinate what we are doing to minimise disruption to tenants and leaseholders. The works are important and should make residents feel safer. But we fully understand the serious concern’s about fire safety in the borough, which is why we want to make sure residents feel informed about our programme of fire safety work and more general fire safety advice.
"Whilst we continue to cooperate with the complex police investigation in to why the fire spread at Lakanal, we are already learning lessons from that tragedy on what we need to do to improve fire safety."
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