County Council reassure residents action is being taken after Grenfell Tower tragedy

County Councillors will consider a report at next week’s Full Council meeting on Thursday, July 13, which highlights the approach taken by the County Council to review fire safety at all County Council buildings.

Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council said: “I would like to reassure all residents that we already have a very robust approach to fire safety with regular checks and a rigorous assessment process in place. But we have no intention to be complacent.

“We have already carried out a careful and detailed fire safety review of our buildings in response to Government advice. This review provided us with significant reassurance that appropriate measures were in place at our buildings.

“However, we intend to go even further and undertake site specific building inspections at 21 properties across the county where people sleep overnight including residential adults and children’s care homes, respite care properties and Fountaindale School in Mansfield and Clayfields House in Stapleford.

“If the outcome of this review identifies any action is required, we will take appropriate action swiftly. Let me be clear that there is no evidence that there are any fire risks for any of these properties.

“To underline our commitment to building safety in the light of the lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire, senior managers are also meeting on a weekly basis to review actions to date and all County Councillors are receiving regular updates on the situation.”

Actions taken to date by the County Council and highlighted in the committee report include:

• A full fire safety review of all County Council managed buildings which has provided significant reassurance that the buildings are at a low risk of harm from fire, due to the existing rigorous process of fire safety checks for higher risk properties.

• A programme of additional site inspections is underway at 21 residential children’s and adults care home properties and Fountaindale School in Mansfield and Clayfields House in Stapleford to double check standard fire safety procedures and to review the external fabric of each building. The inspections are due to be completed by late July and any recommendations will be implemented swiftly.

• Asking owners of sites used by the County Council including schools, leased office buildings and other properties used to provide out of county services to carry out fire safety checks in the light of revised Government guidance.

• A review of fire evacuation procedures at the nine storey Trent Bridge House office building in West Bridgford. Refresher training sessions will be held for all employees based at the site.

• Any cladding proposed to any County Council-owned sites to be reviewed before it is installed

• Weekly meetings of the County Council’s Risk, Safety and Emergency Management Board attended by senior managers to take action following any new guidance from Government.