Mayor of Newham launches Cladding Action and warns private developers on fire safety across 15,000 flats or face prosecution.
Ahead of commemorations next week for the 72 people who died from the Grenfell Tower fire five years ago, Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz has warned developers in Newham to act urgently to complete work to remove all outstanding and unsafe ACM cladding in blocks, and required fire safety works or face prosecution by Newham Council.
The Mayor of Newham issued her letter to all companies, owners and developers of blocks with ACM cladding to mark the launch of the Council’s Cladding Action campaign which was launched today Thursday 9 June to make the 15,000 flats they collectively own, safe for Newham’s residents.
The 15,000 flats in privately owned blocks across this borough leave our residents living in fear of fire breaking out in their homes. The mental and financial strain of unresolved cladding issues is pushing many people close to their breaking point.
Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz said: “As the people’s directly elected Mayor, my administration and the Council will not tolerate any further delays to the urgent and vital life-saving work required. The Council has been leading the way on cladding and will continue with our campaign for the full re-imbursement of the cost of building defects arising from the Grenfell Enquiry, which is causing anxiety and financial hardship for our residents living in the private sector.
The Government has already made clear that developers should pay for repairs to unsafe cladding work. Here in Newham we expect developers and private owners of buildings to do significantly more. Pay for fire safety improvements and repair other fire safety defects that cladding remediation works or other surveys may uncover, or we will pursue the strongest enforcement measures against you.”
Mayor Fiaz, re-elected in May to serve a second term, added: "My role as Newham’s Mayor is to be the loudest champion in defending the interests of all our residents and fight their corner. That is why I am writing to the owners, developers and managers of all those privately owned and managed tall blocks to step up their efforts to remove unsafe cladding where it is still is in place and which continues to plague the lives of too many Newham residents.”
"The Council has been leading the way on cladding, and already we have removed all ACM cladding from the Council’s tall blocks in Newham and now accelerating work to remove non-ACM cladding alongside tackle the broader range of fire safety measures across all our 16,000 council homes. Progress on private tall blocks, owned, developed or managed by some companies operating in Newham isn’t good enough and it is unacceptable. Our residents deserve better and get it sorted or face prosecution by Newham Council.”
In her letter, Mayor Fiaz is demanding that all cladding remediation works required are completed, with action across wider fire safety measures such as fire alarms, fire doors, firebreaks or defective insulation.
1. Read the full letter sent by Mayor Fiaz to developers in Newham.
2. Championing the rights of residents living in the private sector is part of Mayor Fiaz’s Building a Fairer Newham agenda for her second term, where everyone has a right to a decent and safe place to live.
3. The Council has launched the Cladding Action campaign, which is part of a series of actions that will be pursued through the Build a Fairer Newham agenda including:
