Southwark Council has made a ‘correction’ after slamming the Marie Curie House fire safety report by Frankham Consulting as “not good enough”.
The council has now clarified that the report was only a “draft” and “not a completed version”. It has now said the report will be completed in July.
In May, residents of Marie Curie House, Sceaux Gardens, Camberwell, were eagerly awaiting a report that would explain why they had unknowingly lived in a block riddled with safety defects, even after the Lakanal House fire tragedy.
When the report emerged, Councillor Stephanie Cryan, cabinet member for council homes and homelessness, said: “We did commission an independent report, disappointingly, it did not go far enough to address the key questions that we and residents want answers to.
“This is not good enough, and we will be pursuing the full, required report until it is done properly.”
But a newsletter distributed to Marie Curie House residents dated June 17 indicates the council’s fiery words jumped the gun.
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Under the heading ‘correction’ the council wrote: “We would like to make clear that the draft we were given is not the completed version and the report is still being drafted by the consultant and is now expected for completion in July.”
In 2009, a fire at Lakanal House, Sceaux Gardens, Camberwell killed six people and injured at least twenty.
Even though the tragedy sent shockwaves through the nation, its sister block Marie Curie House, was not checked for fire safety defects until a decade later.
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Assessments were only carried out after a resident raised the alarm that smoke was moving between different flats.
Subsequent assessments revealed there were numerous defects, including gaps between properties, aging pipes, and issues with risers and bathroom ducts.
The council has been rehousing residents so they can complete fire safety improvements on the block but, due to the huge waiting list, many are still looking for new homes.
The council has been approached for comment.