Dagenham block of flats engulfed by fire had known safety issues since 2020

A Dagenham building which was entirely engulfed by fire yesterday, requiring more than 200 firefighters to put it out, had known building safety issues dating back to September 2020.

The seven-storey Spectrum Building, which has commercial spaces on the ground floor and residential flats above, was in the process of undergoing cladding remediation to replace high-pressure laminate panels when it caught fire on Monday.

Around 225 firefighters and 45 fire engines arrived at the scene to tackle the fire in the early hours of the morning. Four people were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews, with two taken to hospital.

The LFB said that the fire affected the whole building, including the scaffolding surrounding the property, which was in place as part of the ongoing cladding remediation, and the roof.

It has emerged that concerns about the building’s safety had previously been raised.

Written evidence submitted in 2022 by the Spectrum Residents’ Association to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee reveals that a September 2020 external wall survey found the 60-flat block at 22 Freshwater Road, Dagenham, did not fully meet building regulations at the time of construction.

The block of flats was developed by Chadwell Properties and the current freeholder, who took over the freehold in January 2020, is Arinium.

The London Fire Brigade had also issued an enforcement notice to the management company for the building, Block Management UK on 3 April 2023 due to the building’s failure to meet fire safety requirements.

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The notice identifies problems such as failure to review fire risk assessments, inadequate emergency routes and exits, and the lack of maintenance of firefighting equipment in the building, but does not specifically address the cladding.

It also points out issues with managing preventive and protective measures and the need for an effective emergency plan in the event of a fire.

Valcan is the manufacturer supplying replacement cladding for the building. In an update on 19 August, Valcan said it had recently visited Spectrum Building to see the progress with the remediation work.

They said the project consisted of replacing non-compliant external cladding on the fifth and sixth floors of the building and replacing it with non-combustible A1-rated aluminium panels.

Darren Rodwell, leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, said that the London Fire Brigade was in the process of investigating the fire and that it had been aware of the fire safety issues before Monday’s incident.

Rodwell, speaking to Building Design’s sister title Housing Today, stated that the council did not have grounds to issue an enforcement notice for the fire safety issues.

The Housing Act 2004 allows councils to take enforcement action, such as issuing improvement notices or carrying out emergency remedial measures, if a building is classified as having a category one hazard.

However, Rodwell believes the Spectrum Building was a category two hazard, which does not permit council action.

He also noted that the London Fire Brigade had been working directly with Block Management UK to raise concerns about fire safety issues in the building.

BD has approached Block Management UK for comment.

Rodwell added that the council arranged emergency accommodation for around 80 residents, many of whom are private renters, last night. Today, the council will assist them in returning to Freshwater Road to explore housing options.

An LFB spokesperson said: “We will now begin a full investigation into the fire and its cause. This was a very dynamic and challenging incident, and we know there will undoubtedly be concerns around the fire safety issues present within the building and this will form part of our report.”

The London Fire Brigade was also called to a separate fire at a high-rise block in Blackwall yesterday afternoon. The fire destroyed a balcony and damaged part of a five-roomed flat on the 25th floor of the 45-storey building. There were no reports of any injuries.

The long-awaited final report of the Grenfell Inquiry is due to be published on 4 September.