At 7.04pm on Friday, an email dropped into the inboxes of commercial tenants based at New England House telling them they would not be able to access the premises for four days due to “serious fire safety issues identified” in the building. The lead up to Christmas is the busiest time of year for lots of the traders and small businesses based in the building, so the news of the temporary closure left many of them reeling and anxious about what happens next and the potential impact on their ability to trade.
Even to the untrained eye it’s clear that New England House needs some TLC. There have been many discussions about money being invested in the building to address issues and make it fit for the future. Yet until recently, these conversations have not centred around there being any “intolerable” fire risk in the building.
This meant the email last Friday came somewhat out of the blue. What’s changed? A key thing is new legislation - the Building Safety Act 2022 - which saw new fire safety laws come into force on October 1, 2023. This is a good thing and it’s something that Greens welcome.
The Grenfell tragedy saw 72 people losing their lives, and the subsequent inquiry made clear their deaths were avoidable, and that the Government was warned 25 years ago about the type of fire safety risks that led to the tragedy – the legislation is long overdue and important. Housing providers and building owners face the prospect of legal action if they fail to meet the .
