Tag: Wythenshawe Community Housing Group

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Wythenshawe residents getting their say on housing

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Residents in Wythenshawe are getting the chance to have their say in a bid improve social housing.

Wythenshawe Community Housing Group are in the middle of a major consultation exercise with residents to contribute to the government’ s Green Paper – A New Deal for Social Housing.

Residents are being asked to give their views when they ring WCHG’s customer contact centre and a series of events are being organised to give local people a voice on the future of housing.

Dean Slavin, leading the consultation for WCHG, says the aim of exercise is to collate 1000 responses to be presented in a report – “The Voice of Wythenshawe”, before the government’s deadline on November 6th.

The government’s consultation is centred around five themes :

  • Ensuring homes are safe and decent
  • Moving away from long convoluted complaints system
  • Providing a voice for tenants for holding organisations to account
  • Tackling the stigma of social housing – moving away from notions of sink estates
  • Promoting home ownership schemes.

The government want public opinion on it from tenants, social housing leaseholders, or shared owners. Wythenshawe residents are being asked about a different theme each week. Consultation in Wythenshawe began on September 10th and is running till October 12th.

Dean is particularly passionate about tackling the stereotypes associated with social housing and changing attitudes and language. He says there has been a positive response to the consultation so far.

He said: “The Government produced a very long and complex survey. We decided to scrap that and produce a more straightforward set of questions. The responses will be collated and presented in a report “The Voice of Wythenshawe”, before the government’s deadline on November 6th.”

There will also be a series of customer panels and they are working with tenants and residents groups in Benchill, Northenden, Village 135 and Baguley.

The government has attracted criticism from some quarters who see the Green Paper as a missed opportunity. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation says the initiative could have spearheaded a growth in affordable housing as a way of tackling poverty.

The JRF’s Chief Executive, Campbell Robb, said: “Families up and down the country are being trapped in poverty because of high housing costs. The Social Housing Green Paper was an opportunity to right this wrong and deliver a plan that would build a new generation of social housing, that would loosen the grip of poverty on families and help people to build a secure future.

“Whilst the plans to empower tenants and give them a real voice are very welcome the lack of concrete plans to build significantly more truly affordable homes risks failing a generation. Against a back drop of rising foodbank use, families on low incomes will continue to face impossible choices about whether to pay the rent or put food on the table. We urge the Government to invest in 80,000 genuinely affordable homes a year at the next Spending Review to put things right.”

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A year after Grenfell – Wythenshawe tower block residents still waiting for sprinklers

DSC_0131A year after the Grenfell fire, resulting in the deaths of 72 people, sprinkler systems have still not been fitted to Wythenshawe’s high rise tower blocks.

Wythenshawe Community Housing Group, which runs the town’s 10 high rises said in December it would be installing sprinklers in the tallest block early this year.

The fitting of the sprinklers was approved by the Group’s board, but in a statement made this week it said sprinklers won’t be fitted before they have finished installing fire alarms, due to be completed in the autumn this year.

The WCHG statement in full:

Wythenshawe Community Housing Group remain committed to ensuring safety in high rise buildings and continue to work closely with GMFRS, MCC and other Registered Providers to ensure a consistent robust approach to fire safety in tower blocks.  The Group owns and manages 10 high rise buildings in Wythenshawe and none contain ACM panels.  Village 135 did have feature ACM detail to the projecting balconies, these panels were removed immediately and replaced with compliant solid metal cladding.  We have worked closely with our residents in all of our high rise buildings which have had annual Fire Risk Assessments completed by an accredited consultant.

Since June 2017, we have repeated and reviewed in detail our approach to fire safety with our Fire Safety consultants to identify any further improvements that can be made to each block.  Based on these findings further enhancements have been approved by the Group Board for the installation of sprinklers and full fire alarm systems to the traditional high rise buildings. We have prioritised fire alarm installations to meet  FRA recommendations and a number of them have already being installed,  with the remainder being completed by Autumn 2018. The fitting of sprinkler systems will follow the installation of the fire alarms.

Today marks the first anniversary of the fire in Grenfell Tower in North Kensington in which 72 people lost their lives. The inquiry into the disaster has heard how combustible material in external cladding fitted to the building was the primary cause of the fire’s spread.

And a report published by the London Assembly, taking evidence from fire safety experts recommended that all residential buildings should be fitted with sprinklers to save lives.

The report said sprinklers should be required by law in new care homes, sheltered housing and blocks of flats higher than six storeys, and the measures should be the first steps on a “road map” towards making sprinklers mandatory in all homes in England.

Solidarity events are taking place across the country this week to remember the victims of the Grenfell tragedy, including a candle-lit vigil in Salford at 6.30pm tonight, organised by the local Trades Union Council.

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Wythenshawe’s tallest tower block to be fitted with sprinkler system in response to Grenfell fire tragedy

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Wythenshawe’s tallest tower block is to be fitted with a sprinkler system in the wake of the Grenfell Fire tragedy.

A spokesperson for the Wythenshawe Community Housing Group, which runs the 10 tower blocks in the town said work on the retrofit of the tallest building will start in early 2018.

And a spokesperson for the Group  told the Reporter WCHG was committed to funding all recommended safety improvements.

The WCHG statement in full:

Wythenshawe Community Housing Group remain committed to ensuring safety in high rise buildings and continue to work closely with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Manchester City Council and other registered providers to ensure a consistent robust approach to fire safety in tower blocks.

The Group owns and manages 10 high rise buildings in Wythenshawe and none contain ACM panels.  Village 135 did have a feature ACM detail to the projecting balconies and this was quickly removed in July 2017 shortly following the tragic Grenfell incident.  This has now been replaced with a solid metal cladding panel.

We have worked closely with our residents in all of our high rise buildings which have had annual fire risk assessments in place for many years by accredited consultants.  Since June, we have repeated and reviewed in detail our approach to fire safety with our fire safety consultants to identify any further improvements that can be made to each block.

The Group will commence an installation of sprinklers to the tallest building in early 2018 and the Board and Executive team remain committed to funding all recommended improvements including sprinklers for the safety of occupants.”

In June, Wythenshawe CHG said it had worked closely with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and was “considering all options including sprinkler systems” to maintain safety in it’s tower blocks.

WCHG’s comments come as Manchester City Council agreed to consult tenants on spending £10.5 million to fit sprinkler systems to the 36 high rise tower blocks it owns most of which are in North Manchester.

The City Council’s Executive today approved the plan in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy earlier this year and will follow the completion of high level fire risk assessments that ensures compartmentation of flats, designed to contain fire within an individual dwelling and stop any spread.

Basic fire risk assessments are already in place in all City Council-owned blocks and housing association provider high rises, and were redone immediately following the Grenfell fire. All fire assessments for Council-owned properties have been made available of the Council’s website.

Greater Manchester Fire and rescue) has visited every single high rise block in Manchester and provided the City Council with details.  Where necessary the fire officer has taken steps to address safety issues.

The City Council has also written to every owner or building manager of the 216 privately-owned high rises identified in the city to understand whether the cladding or other building materials used presented pose any potential safety issues.

216 building owners have been contacted in the first two weeks of November and, as they respond, the Council is building up a detailed database which is being shared with DCLG as part of a national picture.

The owners of 12 private buildings that feature Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding have responded positively and have actioned remedial works or commissioned fire risk assessments to reassure residents and fire officers that fire safety measures are in place.

A detailed procedure is being established within the City Council and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) to deal with any owners not responding.

The Council enforcement team, Building Control service and GMFRS are working closely together to ensure that any necessary enforcement actions are correctly actioned.

However, there remains some confusion around enforcement responsibilities and how they are carried out due to a lack of clarity within the current legislation.

The City Council and GMFRS would like to see a revision in guidance for fire safety in flats to address different types of tenure and responsibilities of the building owner and tenants to clearly set out expectations of each party to ensure fire safety.

Cllr 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 are still awaiting the outcome of the national inquiry following the Grenfell tragedy and we are ready to act quickly to any recommendations. However, we already know that a review into enforcement powers of Councils and the fire service is vital to ensure the legislation is in place to fully protect residents.

“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.”

Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Hughes 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. Specialist fire officers continue to work with building owners and local authorities, including Manchester City Council, to address fire safety issues and contribute to Greater Manchester’s ambition of a world-class approach to fire safety, which places the expertise of our fire and rescue service at its heart.”
Community News, News, Politics

Housing group will consider installing sprinklers to ensure tower block safety
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“All options” will be considered

Wythenshawe Community Housing Group says it will consider fitting sprinkler systems to its tower blocks if that is what is required to maintain the safety of residents.

The Group, which runs social housing in Wythenshawe, has been reviewing fire safety in its tower blocks in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in the North Kensington, London in which at least 79 people have died.

Cladding is already being removed from the Group’s Village 135 complex for elderly people in Wythenshawe and The Reporter put a number of questions to the landlord about other aspects of fire safety, raised by residents. Continue reading “Housing group will consider installing sprinklers to ensure tower block safety” →

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Wythenshawe MP praises landlord and fire service for removing tower block cladding

wp-1478947269179.jpegWythenshawe MP Mike Kane has praised Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and the fire service after cladding was removed from a tower block in the wake of the Grenfell fire.

Mr Kane said earlier this week he understood that none of Wythenshawe’s tower blocks were fitted with cladding which has been associated with the rapid spread of the London fire in which at least 79 people killed or are missing presumed dead.

But after a review by landlord, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue service, cladding was removed from one of the blocks.

In a statement, Mr Kane said: “We are all shocked by the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower. Our thoughts are with those who are affected by the fire, and we are grateful to the emergency services who responded so rapidly and bravely. It is vital that we get to the bottom of how this fire happened, hold those responsible to account, and do what is needed to make sure it does not happen again.

“Wythenshawe Community Housing Group responded quickly following the fire and have been working with Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service to ensure the safety of their tenants. They have inspected all blocks and where cladding was present this has been sent off for testing. This processes has identified an issue with some of the panelling on Village 135 and immediate steps are being taken to remove the panelling.  However the view of the Fire & Rescue Service is that Village 135 is a safe building.

“I am grateful to WCHG and GMFRS for their swift response and the steps they are taking to ensure that residents are safe and have the necessary reassurances about fire safety in their their homes.”