Tory controlled Bromley Council has approved an application to build a tower block in Penge, South London, that attempts to get around the rule by reducing the height of the building by 30cm.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been urged to step in and block a developer’s bid to sidestep new building regulations brought in to prevent a repeat of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
New rules state any tower block over 18m tall must have two staircases to allow residents to escape if a fire breaks out.
But Tory controlled Bromley Council has approved an application to build a tower block in Penge, South London, that attempts to get around the rule by reducing the height of the building by 30cm.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and building safety campaign groups have today sent a letter to Sir Sadiq, calling for the Greater London Authority (GLA) to prevent the building going ahead until plans meet the “highest standards of building safety.”
“The fire risks are almost identical as a building that is 30cm taller and would not meet the requirements of the regulations,” the letter reads.
“Evacuation at Grenfell was severely hindered by the single narrow stairwell”
The letter goes on: “Allowing this building to proceed sets a precedent for other developers building properties across the country to treat fire safety as an afterthought instead of the top priority.
“The Grenfell Tower Inquiry laid bare the impact of poor and reckless decision-making where profit was put before lives. Lessons must be learnt.”
The letter was signed by FBU General Secretary Steve Wright and representative of End Our Cladding Scandal, UK Cladding Action Group, Justice4Grenfell, Tower Blocks UK and ACORN.
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A spokesperson for the Hadley Property Group and Clarion Housing Group, responding when concerns were first raised in January, said: “All the buildings in the scheme comply fully with the latest building regulations and fire safety standards.
“As a matter of best practice Hadley Clarion took the step of redesigning the scheme twice during the planning process to meet evolving legislation… when the threshold was amended to 18 metres…requiring two staircases.”
They added: “This was done despite transitional arrangements that could have allowed us to proceed with the original plans.
“These costly and time-consuming decisions were made to prioritise safety and ensure compliance with the highest standards.”