MILLIONS will be spent replacing front doors in high rise flats in the district following the Grenfell fire tragedy.
Warwick District Council has agreed to proposals which will see £2.5million spent on stamping out fire risks at nine blocks in Leamington.
There are some 400 owned and rented flats across the nine high rises, which vary from six to 15 storeys. They include Eden Court, Ashton Court and Southern Court in Lillington; Christine Ledger Square and Radcliffe Gardens off Brunswick Street in south Leamington; Westbrook House and Stamford Gardens near the town centre, and blocks on Binswood Street and Clarendon Square.
Each was inspected by fire safety officers following the Grenfell inferno and none were found with the same cladding thought to have led to that fire spreading so quickly and claiming the lives of around 80 people.
But the district council says it is going above and beyond its required fire safety remit and will now pay for every front door to be replaced and upgraded. The current doors have 30 minutes of fire protection, but new ones will have an hour.
The money – which will come from the council’s ‘Major Repairs Reserve’ – will also cover sprinkler systems in bin areas and upgrades to fire alarms.
District housing spokesman Coun Peter Phillips said: “In the aftermath of the tragic events at Grenfell Tower, Warwick District Council has been very clear about the need to provide reassurance and advice to the residents of our blocks of flats.
“We had a team of staff hand-delivering a letter about fire safety by late afternoon on the day of the fire. We are taking a proactive stance on checking and where necessary enhancing fire safety standards in our high rise blocks, even before we know the outcome of the Grenfell inquiry.
“We are satisfied that our existing fire safety standards and procedures are good, our blocks are safe and none of the cladding systems used on our buildings compromises fire safety.
“There is no room for complacency though and we want to invest further.”
The council and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service say they will continue working together to improve fire safety and removing risk.
Anyone with concerns is asked to contact the council’s housing team.
