New Civil Engineer reported on the start of the process for the contract, which is ‘set to run for seven years in total’, and which calls for work on ‘fire doors, firefighting equipment including risers, sprinklers, fire detection systems and external façade remediation’. In turn, ‘much of it will also focus’ on smoke control and evacuation systems, with the borough council pointing out that some of the work will be required on ‘complex high value properties’.
The borough borders Kensington and Chelsea, where Grenfell Tower is located, and Hammersmith and Fulham is undertaking the work as part of a £20m programme called Fire Safety Plus, under which it ‘promised to offer free safety checks to every council owned high rise home’ as well as ‘new fire doors, heat detectors and sprinklers if necessary’.
Lisa Homan, the council’s member for housing, stated: ‘Our Fire Safety Plus programme is unique and looks to make Hammersmith & Fulham Council homes the safest anywhere in the country. We’ve worked very closely with tenants and leaseholders to help shape this package, and we’re confident it’s the best offered by any council, anywhere. Our aim is not simply to meet the requirements, but to go above and beyond them.’