Rayner says she ‘expects’ more from regulators and partners following huge Dagenham fire
Angela Rayner has demanded quicker progress on making buildings safe following Monday’s huge blaze at a block in Dagenham, east London.
The housing secretary and deputy prime minister, along with building safety minister Rushanara Ali, told a group of regulators and partners at a meeting yesterday that ministers expect the pace of remediation to increase.
This also follows official figures showing there are 2,331 unsafe buildings where remediation work has yet to start.
Rayner said: “Speeding up the remediation of buildings is absolutely critical.
“Seven years on from Grenfell, action has been far too slow and the fire in Dagenham is a horrific reminder of the risk unsafe cladding still poses to far too many people.
“This government will expect more from regulators and partners to make sure action is being taken now to make homes safe, speed up remediation and ensure that buildings in the process of being remediated are managed safely for residents.”
Yesterday’s meeting was attended by Richard Parker, mayor of the west midlands, Paul Dennett, deputy mayor of greater Manchester, Jules Pipe, deputy mayor of London, along with representatives from the London Fire Brigade, the National Fire Chiefs Council, the Local Government Association, the Building Safety Regulator, and others.
>>See also: Dagenham block of flats engulfed by fire had known safety issues since 2020
On Monday, a fire broke out at the Spectrum Building, a high-rise block of flats in Dagenham that was undergoing cladding remediation to replace high-pressure laminate panels. Around 225 firefighters and 40 fire engines were required to put the fire out.
The London Fire Brigade reported that the building had “known” safety issues and is now investigating the causes of the fire, including the role of the cladding.
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