The Leader of Barnet Council, Councillor Dan Thomas issued a statement today to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Councillor Dan Thomas said: “It is hard to think that two years have passed since we first witnessed those shocking scenes at Grenfell Tower.

“First and foremost, our thoughts go out today to those who lost their lives in this tragic incident. We must also think of their families and friends on what will undoubtedly be a very difficult day.

“Those two short years have proved to be a steep learning curve for councils, ensuring additional fire safety measures are in place to try and ensure we never encounter an incident of this scale and devastation ever again. Barnet has been no exception in that respect.  Following this incident, we immediately commissioned a full programme of fire safety works, most notably the removal of ACM cladding from three of the borough’s high-rise tower blocks.

“We will continue to deliver this programme of works to ensure the safety and peace of mind of our residents. The safety of our resident will always be our number one priority.”

Following the Grenfell Tower Fire,  Barnet Homes’ Fire Safety Team alongside Barnet Council, delivered the following works:

 

  • Removed the ACM cladding on the three tower blocks on the Granville Road estate by September 2017 and replaced it with an A1 rated cladding system in 2018, ahead of time and under budget.
  • Completed updated fire risk assessments of all high-rise blocks. 
  • Undertook in depth surveys of all high-rise blocks and developed a prioritised fire safety improvement programme which started on site in December 2017.
  • Developed a fire safety booklet for all residents and created fire safety videos
  • Committed a total of £51.9m to fire safety improvements across the stock which includes installing sprinkler and alarm systems in tower blocks, sheltered housing schemes and hostels. The first sprinkler installations are due to commence imminently.
  • Commenced a programme of in depth fire safety surveys of all low and medium rise blocks.