Following the fire at Lakanal House, Peter Marsh has written a letter to RSLs providing advice to them on practical measures they should take. 

Dear Colleague

GUIDANCE FOLLOWING THE FIRE CASE AT CAMBERWELL LONDON

You will have heard about the fire on Friday 3 July at Lakanal House in Camberwell, London, where six people lost their lives.  Speedy investigations are taking place which we hope will determine the cause and extent of the fire. 

The Secretary of State has asked the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser, Sir Ken Knight, to provide an independent overview of progress with the fire investigations at Lakanal House.  He will report back to the Secretary of State on progress and findings as a matter of urgency. We are working closely with Communities and Local Government colleagues to ensure that any lessons learned from the fire at Lakanal House can be shared as widely as possible and at the earliest opportunity.

The Minister for Housing has written to local authorities asking for their assistance in providing reassurance to tenants.  I would also appreciate your assistance in providing similar reassurance to tenants, and in cooperating with any action that local authorities take in reviewing fire safety in homes in their areas.

Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004 established the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) which all RSLs must have applied in meeting their regulatory obligations to achieve the Decent Homes Standard.  It also provides for local housing authorities to keep housing conditions across all tenures in their area under review in order to identify any action that may need to be taken. The HHSRS is used in evaluating the potential risks to health and safety from any deficiencies identified in dwellings. One of the risks identified is that caused by fire.

The Department provided the HHSRS Operating Guidance in February 2006 to assist both Local Authorities as the enforcing authority for this legislation, and to assist landlords.

More detailed guidance on fire safety in housing has been developed by LACORS (the coordinating body for local authority regulation services) in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Association of Chief Fire Offices.

The need to take any specific action is a matter for judgement by each RSL dependent on its particular circumstances.  We expect that you should be in a position to be assured that the approach that your RSL has taken in making HHSRS assessments fully captures any significant fire risks in your homes in a way that is consistent with the guidance, and that you have taken appropriate action where such risks have been identified.

Yours sincerely

Peter Marsh
Chief Executive