Resolved-

This Council notes:

The tragic events at Grenfell Tower have shocked us all and the thoughts and prayers of everyone in the district are with the victims and their families.

Although Bradford Council transferred its stock of social housing, including high rise tower blocks, to InCommunities in 2003 we are fully committed to doing everything in our power to ensure the safety of people in their homes and public buildings across the Bradford District.

In the past few weeks Bradford Council has been working with our partners in the social housing sector and the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (WYFRS) to ensure we are confident that properties have up-to-date safety records and the type of cladding used at Grenfell Tower is not used anywhere in our district.

We have also liaised with our partners in the NHS and in the district’s schools to ensure Fire Risk Assessments have been carried out and information is up to date.

This Council endorses the approach taken so far by the Portfolio Holder in conjunction with the Strategic Director of Place in:

•                     Writing to high rise owners to request up-to-date information on building safety where necessary to ensure our records are complete

•                     Reviewing our Emergency Response Procedures to ensure any lessons learned from Grenfell Tower are implemented

•                     Working with the WYFRS to expand our concordat with InCommunities to include other housing providers in the social and private sector

This Council also resolves to:

•                     Call on the government to increase the funding available, or provide greater powers related to raising revenue, to Local Authorities to better enforce their powers under the Housing Act 2004 on health and safety and fire safety related issues

•                     Continue to work with the District Tenants’ Federation to organise seminars/workshops with representatives of the WYFRS, housing providers and Bradford Council to discuss fire safety

•                    Support and challenge housing providers in the District to fully and swiftly implement any Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations on sprinklers or other fire safety measures.

ACTION:       Strategic Director Place