Report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development)           

This report provides the Committee with information on the range of activities to address fire safety in high rise residential buildings.

The Committee is invited to comment on the report prior to its submission to the Executive on 9 September 2020.

The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development) that described those activities to address fire safety in high rise residential buildings.

The Committee had been invited to comment on this report prior to its submission to the Executive on the 9 September 2020. 

The main points and themes within the report included: -

·         The latest information on the removal of unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding;

·         An update on the collection of data on all External Wall Systems;

·         Information on other fire safety issues in High Rise Residential Buildings;

·         An update on work undertaken on council-owned High Rise Residential Buildings;

·         A description of the Council’s interdepartmental Fire Safety Group;

·         An update on the Council’s work with residents and, in particular, the Cladiators;

·         A description of the Council’s role as an Early Adopter of the Dame Judith Hackitt recommendations; and

·         An introduction to the Building Safety Bill and Fire Safety Bill and the implications for Manchester.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

·         Welcoming the comprehensive report and acknowledging the work that had been undertaken to progress this important issue;

·         Acknowledging the role of the Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration in leading on this issue and providing a voice for the many affected residents in Manchester;

·         Welcoming the Council’s role as an Early Adopter of the Dame Judith Hackitt recommendations;

·         This approach should apply to all properties, including those under 18 metres;

·         Developers should be encouraged to rectify any issues with cladding rather than occupiers; and

·         Occupiers access to relevant information relating to the property was important; and

·         Noting the difficulties experienced by occupiers who lived in High Rise Residential Buildings obtaining insurance, insurance companies should be lobbied on this issue.   

The Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration said that the Council would continue to support residents and work with them to lobby the government for more resources to deal with all fire safety issues in multi-occupied buildings. The Council would continue to argue that leaseholders should not be made to pay to remedy problems in poorly constructed buildings. The Council would also support Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and residents in lobbying the government to provide funding to remedy all fire safety issues in multi-occupied buildings irrespective of the arbitrary 18m height definition. She said the lobbying on behalf of residents extended to insurance companies.

The Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration described that Leader had written to the Secretary of State to suggest that VAT not be charged to developers to encourage them to rectify cladding, however this had been rejected by the Treasury. She further advised the Members that the Council was also a member of the Greater Manchester High Rise Task Force.

The Interim Director of Housing & Residential Growth advised the Committee that Manchester was a member of the national Early Adopters Forum which provided an mechanism for the Council to seek to influence national policy and directly represent the lived experience and views of residents to the government.

The Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration advised the Committee that because of the Council’s role as an Early Adopter of the Dame Judith Hackitt recommendations they had undertaken proactive work with premises and managing agents to ensure occupants were aware of fire safety within the premises. She further stated that fire safety advice and responsibilities would also be included in the Short Term Letting Charter that had previously been discussed. The Committee welcomed this.

The Committee welcomed Robin Lawler, Chief Executive, Northwards Housing. He described that all of their high rise properties had been subject to an independent fire risk assessment. He said that the programme for installing sprinkler systems in blocks continued, however tenants did have the right to refuse the installation of these in their flats. He said that whilst every attempt had been made to encourage them to have these installed they respected the views of the tenant. He advised that that installation was such that at the time a property became vacant sprinklers could be installed prior to any re-let.

Decisions

The Committee note the report and endorse the recommendations that the Executive:

1.  Note this report;

2.   Delegate to the Strategic Director (Growth and Development) in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration responsibility to develop a process for Mandatory Occurrence Reporting as detailed in section 9.10; and

3.   Agree that the Accountable Person for buildings in scope is the Council of the City of Manchester as described in section 9.16.