Agenda item

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Jayne Dunn

That this Council:-

 

(a)       expresses its shock and sadness at the tragic Grenfell Tower fire, and our thoughts are with the families of people who have been killed and people who are injured and everyone who has been forced out of the homes as a result of the fire;

 

(b)       notes that investigations into the fire and its causes are still ongoing and believes it will be important to consider any recommendations and their implications for Sheffield when the investigations are concluded;

 

(c)        believes it is important that, following the fire, all local authorities across the country are conducting extensive investigations into the safety of their tower blocks and that the Council has been working with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to carry out appropriate checks over the past week;

 

(d)       welcomes the commitment that has been made to retrofit all Council tower blocks in Sheffield with sprinkler systems and believes it is important that the Government commit to provide the funding for these systems in addition to any additional safety measures that are required as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire;

 

(e)       notes that in addition to this, the Government is conducting fire safety tests on tower blocks with composite cladding and the Council has taken the decision to ensure that all Sheffield blocks are tested;

 

(f)        notes that the tests from Hanover tower block have revealed that the cladding on the building should be removed and that action is being taken to do this immediately;

 

(g)       confirms that the cladding at Hanover is not the same as that used at Grenfell Tower and in addition to this there are none of the other concerns that have been found at other tower blocks in other authorities, such as gas in the building and lack of fire doors, which resulted in some blocks being evacuated;

 

(h)       reiterates the advice that Hanover residents are safe to remain in their homes while work to remove the cladding takes place and that this view is supported by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (SYF&R), however temporary accommodation has been offered to anyone who wishes to take it during the works;

 

(i)         welcomes that swift action has been taken to remove the cladding and have security on site 24 hours a day while the building works take place and that updates have been held with residents to inform them of progress;

 

(j)         recognises that, following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, tenants are concerned about their safety and believes it is important that the Council continues to provide as much information as possible to tenants and to continue to meet with residents, and welcomes the visits to tower blocks across the city from the Cabinet Member, Council Leader and local councillors since the incident to provide reassurance to tenants; and

 

(k)        believes it is important that all partners continue to work together to ensure that work is carried out as quickly as possible to ensure all Sheffield tower blocks are safe and that people feel safe living in them, and particularly thanks South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service for their work in partnership with the Council.

 

Minutes:

 

Fire Safety on Tower Blocks

 

 

7.1

It was moved by Councillor Jayne Dunn, and seconded by Councillor Penny Baker, that this Council:-

 

 

 

 (a)      expresses its shock and sadness at the tragic Grenfell Tower fire, and our thoughts are with the families of people who have been killed and people who are injured and everyone who has been forced out of their homes as a result of the fire;

 

(b)       notes that investigations into the fire and its causes are still ongoing and believes it will be important to consider any recommendations and their implications for Sheffield when the investigations are concluded;

 

(c)        believes it is important that, following the fire, all local authorities across the country are conducting extensive investigations into the safety of their tower blocks and that the Council has been working with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to carry out appropriate checks over the past week;

 

(d)       welcomes the commitment that has been made to retrofit all Council tower blocks in Sheffield with sprinkler systems and believes it is important that the Government commit to provide the funding for these systems in addition to any additional safety measures that are required as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire;

 

(e)       notes that in addition to this, the Government is conducting fire safety tests on tower blocks with composite cladding and the Council has taken the decision to ensure that all Sheffield blocks are tested;

 

(f)        notes that the tests from Hanover tower block have revealed that the cladding on the building should be removed and that action is being taken to do this immediately;

 

(g)       confirms that the cladding at Hanover is not the same as that used at Grenfell Tower and in addition to this there are none of the other concerns that have been found at other tower blocks in other authorities, such as gas in the building and lack of fire doors, which resulted in some blocks being evacuated;

 

(h)       reiterates the advice that Hanover residents are safe to remain in their homes while work to remove the cladding takes place and that this view is supported by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (SYF&R), however temporary accommodation has been offered to anyone who wishes to take it during the works;

 

(i)         welcomes that swift action has been taken to remove the cladding and have security on site 24 hours a day while the building works take place and that updates have been held with residents to inform them of progress;

 

(j)         recognises that, following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, tenants are concerned about their safety and believes it is important that the Council continues to provide as much information as possible to tenants and to continue to meet with residents, and welcomes the visits to tower blocks across the city from the Cabinet Member, Council Leader and local councillors since the incident to provide reassurance to tenants; and

 

(k)        believes it is important that all partners continue to work together to ensure that work is carried out as quickly as possible to ensure all Sheffield tower blocks are safe and that people feel safe living in them, and particularly thanks South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service for their work in partnership with the Council.

 

 

7.2

Whereupon it was moved by Councillor Robert Murphy, and seconded by Councillor Douglas Johnson, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of a new paragraph (l) as follows:-

 

 

 

(l)         considering the safety implications of the Hanover Tower Block cladding and the need to reassure the public of the robustness of building safety frameworks, requests that a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Safer and Stronger Communities Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee setting out:-

 

(i)         the reasons why the Hanover Tower Block came to fail fire safety tests;

 

(ii)        the cause of the failures; and

 

(iii)       the implications for other work carried out under the Decent Homes improvement scheme and for any other buildings in Sheffield.

 

 

7.2.1

(NOTE: With the agreement of the Council and at the request of the mover of the amendment (Councillor Robert Murphy), the amendment as circulated at the meeting was altered by the substitution of the words “next meeting of the Safer and Stronger Communities Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee” for the words “next full Council meeting”.)

 

 

7.3

On being put to the vote, the altered amendment was carried.

 

 

7.4

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

(a)       expresses its shock and sadness at the tragic Grenfell Tower fire, and our thoughts are with the families of people who have been killed and people who are injured and everyone who has been forced out of their homes as a result of the fire;

 

(b)       notes that investigations into the fire and its causes are still ongoing and believes it will be important to consider any recommendations and their implications for Sheffield when the investigations are concluded;

 

(c)        believes it is important that, following the fire, all local authorities across the country are conducting extensive investigations into the safety of their tower blocks and that the Council has been working with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to carry out appropriate checks over the past week;

 

(d)       welcomes the commitment that has been made to retrofit all Council tower blocks in Sheffield with sprinkler systems and believes it is important that the Government commit to provide the funding for these systems in addition to any additional safety measures that are required as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire;

 

(e)       notes that in addition to this, the Government is conducting fire safety tests on tower blocks with composite cladding and the Council has taken the decision to ensure that all Sheffield blocks are tested;

 

(f)        notes that the tests from Hanover tower block have revealed that the cladding on the building should be removed and that action is being taken to do this immediately;

 

(g)       confirms that the cladding at Hanover is not the same as that used at Grenfell Tower and in addition to this there are none of the other concerns that have been found at other tower blocks in other authorities, such as gas in the building and lack of fire doors, which resulted in some blocks being evacuated;

 

(h)       reiterates the advice that Hanover residents are safe to remain in their homes while work to remove the cladding takes place and that this view is supported by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (SYF&R), however temporary accommodation has been offered to anyone who wishes to take it during the works;

 

(i)         welcomes that swift action has been taken to remove the cladding and have security on site 24 hours a day while the building works take place and that updates have been held with residents to inform them of progress;

 

(j)         recognises that, following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, tenants are concerned about their safety and believes it is important that the Council continues to provide as much information as possible to tenants and to continue to meet with residents, and welcomes the visits to tower blocks across the city from the Cabinet Member, Council Leader and local councillors since the incident to provide reassurance to tenants;

 

(k)        believes it is important that all partners continue to work together to ensure that work is carried out as quickly as possible to ensure all Sheffield tower blocks are safe and that people feel safe living in them, and particularly thanks South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service for their work in partnership with the Council; and

 

(l)         considering the safety implications of the Hanover Tower Block cladding and the need to reassure the public of the robustness of building safety frameworks, requests that a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Safer and Stronger Communities Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee setting out:-

 

(i)         the reasons why the Hanover Tower Block came to fail fire safety tests;

 

(ii)        the cause of the failures; and

 

(iii)       the implications for other work carried out under the Decent Homes improvement scheme and for any other buildings in Sheffield.