Fire Safety in Stockton

Following the tragic news of the fire in GrenfellTower there have been enquiries about the safety of properties in Stockton.

Stockton Council has issued the following information about the properties which were insulated as part of the GoWarm scheme:

"You may recall that these homes were clad using a solid render affixed directly to the exterior walls.

I can provide reassurance that the render used throughout the scheme is British Board of Agrèment (BBA) certified at zero rating for fire, meaning it will not burn in the event of a fire.

"Thirteen Group have issued the following guidance and the narrative from their Chief Executive below explains what measures are in place regarding their stock

"In addition to Thirteen, the Council will be looking at its own activities and assets to provide a level of reassurance where and when required."

The information from Thirteen Group says:

We have 19 high rise blocks comprising 8 located within Middlesbrough, 9 in Stockton-on-Tees, 1 within Hartlepool and 1 within Newcastle. We already have a planned maintenance programme stemming from stock condition surveys and structural surveys. We are checking the external material on all our high rise blocks through intrusive surveys to take samples and test as an added precaution. We had recently undertaken a further fire safety check of all the high rise blocks so were already looking to install misting systems. All our fire systems are checked periodically through the year and concierge check 3 times a day for obstructions etc.

We are naturally receiving queries. We have been providing information and door knocks are being arranged for each high rise block. We posted some information on our website yesterday and provided guidance from the Fire Brigade.