We have been busy on the high rise buildings making sure our residents are safe by installing fire alarms, checking for any gaps or issues in the structures, fitting sprinklers, renewing lifts in some of the blocks and carrying out soil stack works whilst also engaging fire safety professionals to assess the blocks and provide us with any necessary recommendations.
Product Recalls/Fire Safety - Urgent
E-bike likely cause of Cambridge fire that killed mother and children
We continue to assess the integrity of materials used externally and internally via Fire Risk Assessments carried out by Fire Safety consultants and will put together programmes of work to carry out the recommendations.
High Rise Safety and Improvement Works
Brookway and Moorcot Courts
We are coming to the end of our most recent External fire safety and improvement works at Brookway & Moorcot Courts.
These works include the replacement of the roof coverings along with increasing the depth of the insulation and re insulating all the pipe work on the roof. This will enhance the performance of the buildings, reduce energy costs for residents and ensure that the roofs remain water tight.
The windows and the spandrel panel have also been replaced on the balconies. These offer a combination of improved safety, increased thermal and acoustic comfort while improving the aesthetics of the buildings. The panels are Fire Safety rated A2 which means that they are none combustible and suitable for buildings over 18 metres in height. Further to this we have upgraded the fire stopping around window openings and upgraded the extractor fans to help reduce mould and condensation.
Moorcot Court has had a number of additional thermal performance and fire safety measures. These include upgrading the insulation of the gable ends, replacing the access walkway panels with using powder coated steel panels, and replacing the riser ducts on the balconies in steel.
Fire Doors - High Blocks and Flats with communal areas
Many of our customers living in flats and high rise tower blocks in Wythenshawe will have had a new flat entrance door fitted. Further door replacements will be fitted shortly where required.
We are well underway with replacing all the flat entrance doors with new fully accredited “fire doors”. Our contractor, Emmanuel Whittaker’s, have currently installed 1350 fire doors, with a total number of doors ordered so far at 1637. A further 222 doors are waiting to be installed and a further 198 doors have been identified for replacement.
The fire doors we are fitting to your flat are elegant, modern as most importantly “safe” in the unfortunate situation of a fire starting in your home or an adjoining property. The fire door types are rigorously tested as to how they perform when subjected to various fire scenarios. They are also fitted by a “Suitably Accredited Installer”, then checked and certified independently to make sure they have been fitted correctly, with no defects. Not only are the fire doors tested for fire safety, they are also fitted to ‘Secured by Design’ standard, meaning they are certified by the police for the robustness of the entire door. This process ensures the safety of the residents within the blocks and also helps to maintain the buildings safety overall.
Fitting fire doors is only part of the work we are carrying out to make our high rise blocks a safe place to live. Details on other aspects of building safety works can be found on our website.
Benchill, Brownley and Hollyhedge Courts
WCHG are now at the Contract stage for the planned upgrade to the lifts of Hollyhedge, Benchill and Brownley Courts, which will include the major refurbishment of the two lifts in each of the three buildings. This is the formal process, where we enter into contract with our chosen approved lift contractor.
Works will include modifications to allow each lift to serve all floors, improve reliability, accessibility, energy efficiency and that they are provided with controls to support firefighters use in the event of emergency and evacuation.
The Contractor selected to carry out the upgrade works is a Lift manufacturer and installer called Liftcraft and the ordering and final design processes will shortly commence. Works are likely to commence mid-2024 and prior to any commencement, WCHG will have a consultation session where any residents can come along and find out more about what to expect during the on-site works.
Bagnall and Westview Courts
We have now commenced on the improvement works at Bagnall and Westview courts.
Plans include replacing the roof covering, upgrading the insulation along with renewing the insulation on all exposed pipework on the roofs. The brickwork, pointing and lintels will also be surveyed once the scaffolding has been erected and any defects made good. These measures will help with the environmental conditions of the building in terms of mould and thermal performance. New extractor fans will also be installed in the bathrooms and kitchens.
The windows and spandrel panels will be replaced with A2 fire rated panels offering improved safety, sound proofing, whilst improving the aesthetics of the building.
The panels on the balcony walkways will also be replaced with A2 fire rated materials.
Following the recent new fire safety regulations, intrusive investigations will also be carried out between dwellings and floors in the buildings. Any areas found inadequate will be appropriately upgraded.
Do you have any concerns?
If you would like to report any concerns you have as a tenant, resident or contractor, you can choose to report anonymously via the form below.
Report a safety concern
Everyone can play their part to keep your building safe, if you see or have a building safety concern please get in contact and let us know. Whether it's something that isn’t working how it should or someone acting irresponsibly, just fill out the form below and we will take care of the rest.
We will use this information, to assess what next steps we take to resolve any issues, please be as detailed as possible. Please be advised your information will be kept confidential.
Please be advised your referral can take up to 24 hours to process in working days and is not monitored over weekends. This is not a form to log emergency repairs/issues. Thank you.
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We value your privacy and respect your information rights. We will always handle your personal information in line with the data protection laws. If you would like to find out more about how we handle your information you can read our privacy notice at www.wchg.org.uk/privacy-notice.
