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After years of building residential towers we are now seeing, with increasing regularity, fires breaking out in blocks. This is a tragic but unfortunate consequence of build quality and high-rise living that has been prevalent in the past decade.
Obviously we are still waiting on recommendations from the tragic Lakanal House fire that happened in 2009. So at the moment buildings are still being constructed that may need alteration, adjustment or retro fits to comply with changes from the Lakanal House report.
Whatever is proposed there is no sense in who will be liable to pay for the fire safety work. It would be difficult to push through the service charges where leases have been drawn with narrow provisions. It will be impossible to get freeholders to stump up for these works because, at the end of the day, they have limited obligations and even less financial incentive to take the lead.
All the while we have more blocks being built that may or may not meet the recommendations that ultimately appear. This will then leave the great conundrum of how do we find a resolution to adapt or change existing blocks?
12 Dec 2011 15:38:15