Advice for Wellingborough and East Northants tenants following Grenfell Tower blaze

Advice is being offered to people worried about their home fire safety following the Grenfell Tower fire which already has a death toll of more than 70.
Advice has been offered to anyone concerned following last week's Grenfell Tower fireAdvice has been offered to anyone concerned following last week's Grenfell Tower fire
Advice has been offered to anyone concerned following last week's Grenfell Tower fire

Housing associations and the county’s Citizens Advice Bureau are among those to issue advice after last week’s devastating fire.

A statement released by Wellingborough Homes said: “Following the tragic event in Kensington in the early hours on Wednesday morning, Wellingborough Homes would like to assure it’s customers that we take fire safety very seriously as the well-being of our customers, their families and visitors are of paramount importance to us.

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“As a responsible social landlord we have up-to-date, robust policies and procedures in place to ensure that we are compliant with our legal and regulatory obligations and will continue reviewing these in light of best practice.

“This includes completion of a fire risk assessment on all our residential schemes, flats and multi-storey buildings through an independent suitably qualified and experienced person every five years with regular (six-monthly) inspections carried out by a competent member of staff to ensure that this remains up to date and any actions and/or measures required have been identified and/or completed.

“If you have any concerns or specific questions related to fire safety issues please contact Wellingborough Homes in the first instance.

“Our thoughts go out to all those affected by this tragedy.”

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Spire Homes, which has more than 5,000 properties throughout Northamptonshire, Rutland and Leicestershire and is part of the Longhurst Group, has also issued advice following the fire.

To read the advice in full, click here

The website also says: “If you have any concerns about fire safety in your property, please get in touch.

“Our thoughts are with everybody affected by this tragedy.”

Martin Lord, chief executive of Central and East Northamptonshire Citizens Advice, also has advice for any tenants who have safety concerns.

He said: “Tenants’ general rights concerning the standard of rented property is governed by a range of legislation and regulation - including environmental health provisions (enforced by local authorities) and in respect to broader provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act.

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“Any concerns in the first instance need to be addressed to the landlord, ideally in writing, and thereafter or concurrently to the local authority in which the person lives.

“We are fortunate as a local Citizens Advice to directly employ two housing solicitors who work in this area under the Legal Aid scheme, with health and safety-related disrepair matters being a significant part of their caseload - although mainly in the private rented sector.”