Grenfell Fire: Camden Council Evacuates Five High Rises Amid Fears They’re Not Safe

People have been evacuated from five tower blocks in north London, to allow “urgent fire safety works” to take place in the wake of the Grenfell Tower blaze. Camden Council said on Friday evening that the residents from 800 flats - potentially thousands of people - in the Chalcots Estate’s high rises would leave in the wake of the devastating Grenfell Tower fire, which killed at least 79 people last week.

The council had previously announced it would remove cladding from these high rises, having established it was flammable, similar to the sort that burned the Grenfell Tower. The evacuation began immediately and people arrived on the ground to start to get people out. Amid initial confusion about whether the evacuation was compulsory, residents unsure of where they would end up were sent to nearby Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre, where many blow-up beds were laid out.

It was unclear where all those due to be evacuated would be able to stay. The council said it would arrange temporary accommodation and had block-booked hotels.


http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/grenfell-fire-camden-tower-block-evacuated_uk_594d67a5e4b05c37bb765bbe?utm_hp_ref=uk

It must be very tough to have to suddenly leave your home like that and sleep on a leisure centre floor. Still, it's better than being in a burning building, and I presume it won't be for very long.

I imagine everyone who has a Hotpoint Fridge freezer is anxious now too. Apparently more house fires are started by fridge freezers than any other appliance.....the ones we use are banned in America.

Camden Council has warned residents refusing to leave their unsafe tower blocks they will be forced out if they do not voluntarily evacuate so urgent fire safety work can be carried out. Although thousands of people have temporarily moved out at the urging of the council and the London Fire Brigade, about 20 households across four tower blocks are staying put. Georgina Gould, the leader of Camden Council, said on Sunday that residents still inside the 22-storey buildings on the Chalcots Estate "must leave".

"This morning council staff will conduct further door knocking to ask those who remain to leave, and issue another letter reiterating to residents who are still remaining in the Taplow, Bray, Dorney and Burnham blocks, that they must leave. "By remaining in the blocks these residents risk delaying the work that is required and that we are undertaking to make these homes safe. "It is not safe to remain in these blocks and our residents' safety will continue to be the council's number one priority."

Ms Gould said Camden Council has committed £100,000 of funds to pay for food, refreshments and other essential items which displaced residents need. This is on top of £500,000 already spent on hotel rooms for those affected. The Government says 34 high-rise blocks of flats in 17 local authority areas have failed fire cladding safety tests ordered following the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said on Saturday night: "A failure in testing of the cladding does not necessarily mean that a building will have to be evacuated. "The decision by Camden Council to evacuate four of the five towers on the Chalcots Estate was because the failed testing of the external cladding was compounded by multiple other fire safety failures which the fire inspection team found within the buildings. "Obviously, those residents in Camden who had to be asked to leave their homes at such short notice have had a distressing experience."

http://news.sky.com/story/defiant-camden-tower-block-residents-may-be-forced-out-10926305


This seems out of order to me. If they want to remain whilst the outside cladding is changed, why do they even need to leave the flats and be forced to do so?

I mean what a waste of money, when its on the outside this cladding and hundreds of thousands is being spent on temporary accommodation and food. This seems an irrational fear based panic decision. Even worse to claim those staying will delay the needed works is poor to say the least.

Raggamuffin wrote:It must be very tough to have to suddenly leave your home like that and sleep on a leisure centre floor. Still, it's better than being in a burning building, and I presume it won't be for very long.

Now (Sunday News), they are saying there are 47-towers that have the ill-fated cladding. Do the math.

Original Quill wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:It must be very tough to have to suddenly leave your home like that and sleep on a leisure centre floor. Still, it's better than being in a burning building, and I presume it won't be for very long.

Now (Sunday News), they are saying there are 47-towers that have the ill-fated cladding.  Do the math.

Yes, there are probably loads, but they have to do it. They can't risk the same thing happening again.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

Now (Sunday News), they are saying there are 47-towers that have the ill-fated cladding.  Do the math.

Yes, there are probably loads, but they have to do it. They can't risk the same thing happening again.

I agree.

Hell of a lot of labour councils above there where this cladding is on such buildings.

What about hospitals and schools. I suppose they must look into those next. Many might not have this cladding, I hope so.

Premier inns are saying they are not sure about their cladding now.

Blimey, its everywhere Syl.

magica wrote:Blimey, its everywhere Syl.

Yep....they have started removing cladding on several high rise flats in Salford now.

I would not leave my flat due to a "knee jerk" reaction by the Council. !

Would any here?

Glad I live in a nice 4 bed detached in a beautiful area, not on the 17th floor of a high rise flat.
Unless I did, it is difficult to voice an opinion. But I wouldn't  aleep easily.I

nicko wrote:I would not leave my flat due to a "knee jerk" reaction by the Council. !

Would any here?

I honestly don't know. The upheaval would be awful, but living in a place that's a potential death trap would probably be worse.

They'v been up for 40 years or more, and one burns down because of a fridge? Whats the odds of another burning in a few weeks/months/years.
[Unless it's Arson]
I would not leave because of a knee jerk reaction by some young snowflake.

nicko wrote:They'v been up for 40 years or more,  and one burns down because of a fridge?   Whats the odds of another burning in a few weeks/months/years.
[Unless it's Arson]
I would not leave because of a knee jerk reaction by some young snowflake.

I think they need to consider the possibility of arson actually. There's bound to be some sicko who thinks it would be fun to burn down a tower block.