Latest figures published by the London Fire Brigade suggest that there are currently 1,006 blocks of flats in London that are not safe enough for occupants to stay inside if fire breaks out. 718 of those have cladding related safety issues and the vast majority of them (818) are over 18m high.
Andy Roe, the Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, called upon managers and building owners to take urgent action to remedy serious fire safety issues and said that pressure is being placed on officers, who have to inspect or re-inspect buildings that have changed their evacuation strategy. Whilst this is a draw on resources, Mr Roe added that this was vital work that has to be maintained until all of the unsafe buildings are remediated.
The number of unsafe buildings has increased by 39 since July 2021.
"We are extremely concerned that more than four years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the number of buildings being identified with fire safety issues is increasing. The scale of issues being uncovered in buildings across the UK is worrying and there are much wider issues than just dangerous cladding. There is a far higher number of high-risk buildings in London than anywhere else in the country and it’s clear that there has not yet been a complete culture change when it comes to fire safety in residential buildings."
