Following the horrific fire at Grenfell Tower in London, we needed to make urgent changes. Specialist officers from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) checked many buildings to identify any problems. They carried out a major joint inspection, alongside housing providers, in every building where the cladding failed the Building Research Establishment tests.
As a result, landlords of these buildings have introduced significant measures to minimise the risk to residents in the event of a fire. These include evacuation plans and 24-hour security patrols.
Report concerns
If you have any concerns about the safety of your building you can:
- Contact Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
- Email highrise@manchesterfire.gov.uk
- Call 0800 555 815
Recommendations
Following the Grenfell Tower fire, the government has recommended additional building safety checks for external cladding materials.
Landlords and building owners are advised to make themselves familiar with these checks.
Find out about building safety checks at GOV.UK
Taskforce
The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has set up a High Rise Taskforce. It is being led by Salford City Mayor Councillor Paul Dennett and supported by GMFRS.
Andy Burnham has created the task force in response to the Grenfell Tower fire and in direct response to the concerns of residents in similar buildings in Greater Manchester.
The task force includes:
- Landlords of tower blocks across the city region in both private and public ownership
- Representatives from every local authority in Greater Manchester
- Specialist officers who can offer support to ensure every high rise is safe and receives the right fire safety advice