Published: Wednesday, 12th July 2017

All Council high rise buildings comply with current fire safety standards. Read the FAQs.

Read the frequently asked questions

Reassurance to tenants

The Royal Borough of Greenwich has written to all council tenants to provide reassurance following the tower block fire at Grenfell Tower in Kensington. The letter, which you can read in full below, confirms that all our buildings comply with fire safety regulations.

Full text of the letter: 

Dear Resident,

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is deeply saddened by the devastating fire and tragic loss of life at Grenfell Tower in Kensington and our thoughts are with the friends and family of those affected.

The Council would like to put on record its thanks to the emergency services for the prompt way in which they responded to this unprecedented event – selflessly putting their lives at risk in order to save the lives of others.

The Royal Borough very much appreciates that residents living in Council owned properties, in particular higher-rise dwellings, may have a number of concerns about their accommodation. We would like to reassure you that the Council takes Fire Safety extremely seriously and all our buildings are compliant with fire safety regulations.

In the case of our high-rise buildings, they are all purpose constructed with fire compartmentalisation built-in to the structure of the buildings in order to control the spread of fire and smoke which should ensure that any fire remains in the particular dwelling in which it started.

The Council has also ensured that our buildings have also been upgraded in recent years as part of a comprehensive programme of fire safety enhancements put in place in consultation with the London Fire Brigade (LFB). These upgrades include:

  • New front entrance doors to dwellings that automatically close and provide 60 minutes fire and smoke protection
  • New or upgraded fire doors to all common/communal areas and escape routes
  • 'Fire Stopping' between flats and common areas to limit the spread of smoke and fire
  • The installation of enhanced Emergency Lighting
  • Redecoration of internal common/communal areas with finishes that comply with 'Class O' of the Building Regulations in England and Wales to minimise the spread of fire
  • The installation of Automatic Opening Ventilation (AOVs) to allow smoke to vent from internal communal areas
  • The renewal of Fire Signage and Directional Signage
  • The development of an enhanced recording system for the maintenance records for Dry Risers and Automatic Opening Vents.

In addition, all the Royal Borough's high-rise buildings have a current and up-to-date Fire Risk Assessment in place and comply with current Fire Safety standards. Each Fire Risk Assessment is reviewed annually or more frequently, as required. To provide additional reassurance to our tenants, all Fire Risk Assessments of high-rise buildings are being reviewed again in the coming weeks.

Standards of housekeeping within the common/communal areas of buildings are checked on a continual basis by Caretaking and other Council staff to ensure standards are maintained. We also want to work with you to ensure that escape routes remain clear of combustible materials and obstruction and that fire doors operate as they should. Additional checks are also being carried out at this time.

Please be assured that our highest priority remains the safety of you - our residents - and we will act on and take any necessary action following our updated risk assessments and in response to any revised guidance from the LFB, arising from the investigation into the fire at Grenfell Tower.

John Comber, Chief Executive