Work on installing sprinklers in the 54 high rise tower blocks managed by Enfield Council will start in the new year.
The project, expected to cost in the region of £8 million, or £3,000 per property, will be paid for by Enfield Council, but the authority is lobbying the government to fund the scheme which has been introduced in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire in Kensington and Chelsea, which claimed the lives of 71 people.
Although Enfield Council managed blocks are fire resistant and comply with all relevant safety regulations the scheme is designed to increase the speed at which fires can be dealt with in high rise blocks and reassure residents that the Council is doing everything it can to keep their families as safe as possible.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing & Housing Regeneration, Cllr Ahmet Oykener, said: “We take the safety of all of our residents extremely seriously and although our high rise blocks are extremely safe, we think it is sensible and proportionate to install sprinkler systems in them to further reduce the likelihood of a serious fire breaking out.
“The Grenfell Tower fire shocked the nation and it wold be a complete dereliction of duty for us to do nothing in the aftermath of that terrible tragedy. We have already reviewed fire safety in every single one of our high rise blocks and even though they are fully compliant with existing fire regulations we feel it is right and proper to install sprinkler systems to enable more effective fire fighting in these blocks and to reassure residents that we take their safety extremely seriously.
”We’re building strong communities and we are demonstrating to residents that we’ve got their backs and we’ll do what needs to be done to keep them safe.”
Work on installing sprinklers in the first two blocks will start in January.
Enfield Council unanimously passed a motion at its Council meeting last month (Wednesday 22 November) calling on the Government to fund the works.
Source: new.enfield.gov.uk/news-and-events/enfield-council-to-fit-sprinklers-in-its-high-rise
