Manchester’s council-owned tower blocks to be fitted with sprinklers

SPRINKLERS are to be fitted across all 36 council-owned Manchester tower blocks, the city council has announced.

The decision was made by the council following high-level fire-risk assessments compiled by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue service following the Grenfell Tower incident which occurred six months ago today.

Grenfell Tower fire 6 months on: "The only way we heal is with each other" ❤️ pic.twitter.com/426qWKm2Xl

— Victoria Derbyshire (@VictoriaLIVE) December 14, 2017

The project, which will be funded by the Housing Revenue Account will set the council back with a £10.5m cost and will have a knock-on affect on other planned works in the region.

The council has also written to all 216 privately-owned tower blocks across Manchester to establish whether other building materials used could pose a danger to residents.

The city council enforcement team alongside the building control service and GMFRS are working closely together to ensure that all enforcement actions regarding the project are correctly programmed.

Owners of 12 private buildings that feature Aluminium Composite Materials (ACM) cladding have taken action or commissioned fire risk assessments regarding safety.

Bernard Priest, deputy leader of Manchester City Council, said “We need to get to a position where every person who lives in a high-rise block feels safe in their homes, understands fire procedures for the building, and building owners know what their responsibilities are.

“We believe that we should retrofit sprinkler systems in our high-rise properties, but it is important that we do this in conversation with our residents – and funding the works will need to be in conversation with government for their support.”

Alongside Bernard spoke Bev Hughes, deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, who added: “Through the work of the Greater Manchester High Rise Taskforce, we have been able to take swift action to reassure residents living in high-rises across Greater Manchester and make sure that the right fire safety advice is in place.”

The project is expected to take place early 2018.