‘Grenfell lessons not learned’: Families from Tower block blaze demand cladding answers
Residents have hit out at the management company of a tower block which caught fire, after they learned that it was fitted with Grenfell-style cladding.
The Fire Brigades Union issued a warning over the use of cladding after over 120 firefighters were called to put out the massive fire in north-west London on 29 January that came after residents said they heard an explosion from a boiler room on the roof.
After the fire, families were left out in the cold before being put up in local hotels whilst housing manager Octavia determines if the building can be made safe again.
Octavia said they are still unable to return home until the London Fire Brigade deems the five blocks safe, however London Fire Brigade says the decision to return is with Octavia.
Resident Urutha Kailasapillai said his severely disabled daughter, for whom he provides round-the-clock care, was separated from him because the hotel they were offered had no wheelchair access.
His daughter burst into tears after she waited 16 hours to be given the choice by social services to be taken to a hospital or a care home.
Hundreds of residents were evacuated, with some recounting the “frightening” moment they were evacuated - which reminded some of the Grenfell Tower fire.
The families were told in a nearby Wetherspoons pub doubling as an emergency shelter by Brent North MP Barry Gardiner that the cladding that caught fire was the same material used at Grenfell.
Mr Gardiner claimed the block’s managers were “repeatedly warned” about safety risks and had known about “unsafe cladding” for more than three years but had failed to get it replaced.
The London Fire Brigade said it is working with a scientific advisor at testing company Bureau Veritas to find the cause of the fire but confirmed cladding was involved.
The building has a variety of external cladding materials including high pressure laminate (Trespa) and small areas of aluminium composite material (ACM) around some windows, similiar to materials used in Grenfell.
One of the first people to move into the block just off Wembley High Street about 15 years ago was NHS nurse Angel, 51. She works with Grenfell survivors still suffering respiratory problems six years after the fatal inferno claimed the lives of 72 people.
She told The Independent: “It was very scary. We are still treating Grenfell patients; we know what it is like, it lasts for such a long time.
“To hear it is the same cladding is terrifying.
“They did work on the fire system two years ago but then stopped for some reason.”
“We are not getting help, we come back every morning to find out what is happening – there is a wall of silence. It’s just so unfair.
“When Octavia turned up they treated us so bad they were shouting at us. We approached them with humility but they didn’t do the same.”
She added: “Residents fighting the hierarchy is not going to be easy, they won’t pay for our hotels forever and then what will they do, make us homeless? Lessons have not been learned from Grenfell at all.
“It is extremely frustrating regardless of how the building looks without the cladding you have to take it off. The back of our building is completely covered.”
Dozens of families said they were left without heating since August, before the fire on January 29.
A single mother-of-one, 41, from Kensington Court said: “My fire system never worked, the alarm never went off.
“It was lucky no-one was killed.
“What makes me angry is that we still don’t have a clear answer. We can go back, but what do we have to go back to? We don’t know who to listen to. Who is looking after us?
“If I’m going to take my kid back in there we need to be shown it is safe. We cannot risk our lives.”
Mr Kailasapillai, 79, was returning to his flat to pick up medicine for his severely disabled daughter who suffers from a mitochondrial disorder.
He told The Independent: “I am so unhappy. I’m her carer, she needs me.
“She was left for 16 hours, she was crying and distressed but we still couldn’t get transport for her. 999 wouldn’t take her because it was not an emergency. The taxi eventually came 16 hours later.”
He added that there had been a lack of communication from Octavia housing.
He said: “They haven’t told us that it is safe. No-one is talking to us. It needs to be fully sorted out.”
Chantelle John, 43 and a mother-of-three, has lived in the block for 15 years and was also critical of fire safety.
She told The Independent: “There were no fire marshals, no alarms, it was our neighbours who were banging on doors to get us out.
“It was only our MP who told us it was the same material as Grenfell. He was shouting that he had warned them for years this could happen but lawyers were being secretive about the details every time he tried to get a conclusion.
“The cladding is just there to make it look pretty. Ever since Grenfell happened everyone has lived in fear here.”
She added: “My eldest daughter is traumatised, she can’t work, another is doing her GCSEs and can’t sleep for crying.
“We don’t want to go back. Our kids will not go back while the cladding is up. If they removed it before and worked with us they would not be traumatised.
“They are traumatised from knife crime in the area and all this is just more trauma on top of that.”
Mickala Austin, 36, said she was placed in a dusty and cold hotel which has triggered her asthma along with that of her son.
She said: “It was a McDonalds worker who I had never seen before telling me to get out. I put my son and his friend in my car but then we were told to get out and get further back.
“They left us in the cold for five hours. There was no evacuation point, no plan.
“My son doesn’t want to go back and he’s lived there his whole life.
“No-one cares about us. We were told in the hotel today we weren’t even allowed breakfast this morning. I am stressed but no-one knows what is happening.”
An LFB spokesman said: “Under the fire safety order, London Fire Brigade, in its regulatory role, is not responsible for determining when it is safe for residents to move back into these buildings.
“Octavia Housing has a legal obligation to meet its responsibilities to ensure the safety of its buildings.”
The spokesman added they handed over the scene to Octavia, as the responsible person, on February 2.
MP Barry Gardiner said Octavia has had a long-running battle with their insurer to rip the blue cladding down before the fire took hold.
Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said: “Firefighters have once again been called to cladding fire which could have resulted in tragedy.
“Decades of deregulation have created unnecessary risks to residents and firefighters, and put homes and lives at risk.”
An Octavia spokeswoman insisted that no-one will be made homeless as a result of the fire and that a fire risk assessment had taken place.
She added: “We will not be asking people to return home without prior approval from the London Fire Brigade.
“The safety of our residents is our priority. We are working with the London Fire Brigade, Brent Council, and our contractors to ensure homes are safe and secure, in order for residents to be able to return to their home.
“No one will be asked to return home until the London Fire Brigade has assessed the building as safe.”
On why the cladding had not been removed despite being raised by residents for at least three years, she said completing the works “is a priority”.
She said: “We share Mr Gardiner’s frustration that the developer has not agreed to carry out the necessary external works.
“Like many housing associations, Octavia simply does not have the financial resources to carry out works of this nature at its own expense. This is why Octavia must first reach an agreement with the developer and insurers before the works can commence.
“We have not had any feedback from residents that they were shouted at by Octavia staff any time during visits, meetings, telephone calls, or other contacts.”
“We fully understand that the fire at Elm Road was an extremely distressing experience for our residents. The safety, health and wellbeing of residents is our absolute priority. We are in contact with them every day to ensure we continue to offer every possible assistance to them. People from our Housing team were on site from the evening of the fire to support residents and help ensure their safety. They made sure everyone had somewhere to take refuge and had access to food and other refreshments, before finding them temporary hotel accommodation nearby.“
“Since then, we have been in contact with the evacuated residents daily, to ensure their temporary accommodation meets their needs. We are also covering all reasonable costs residents are incurring as a result of being out of their homes. We are working with Brent Council, the NHS and other local partners to enable residents to access a range of local welfare, wellbeing and mental health support. This has included our charitable Foundation covering the cost of half-term activities for families with children last month. We will continue to offer this support for as long it is needed.”
