Agenda item

Financing of the Sprinkler Systems in the Publicly Owned Tower Blocks in Wolverhampton

[The Service Director of Housing will outline the financial plans for the funding of the sprinkler systems in the publicly owned tower blocks in Wolverhampton]. 

Minutes:

The Council’s Service Director for Housing stated that the Cabinet Resources Panel had agreed the budget for the Housing Revenue Account.  An extra £15 million had been allocated for the funding of electrical and mechanical work as part of the Safer High-Rise programme.  This was alongside the £20 million already set aside as part of the planning phase for the sprinkler programme.  She was anticipating that the sprinkler programme would commence in the 2019/20 financial year.    

 

The Chief Executive of Wolverhampton Homes confirmed that the sprinkler programme would be on a phased approach across the City.  The Chief Executive reiterated the offer for Councillors to see a demo of the work that would be taking place in their ward, when work was about to commence.  The Chair stated that he thought Councillors would welcome the opportunity.  The Head of Commercial Services and Stock Investment – Wolverhampton Homes commented that he thought the first installations would be of greatest interest to the Councillors.  The representative from the Wolverhampton Federation of Tenants Associations asked for tenant representatives to be invited to any demos or site visits.   

 

A Member of the Panel asked for some indicative timescales as to when the sprinklers programme would commence and be completed.  The Head of Commercial Services and Stock Investment – Wolverhampton Homes commented that it would be several years before the sprinkler installation was completed at Chetton Green.  He predicted the best-case scenario would be for the sprinklers at Chetton Green to be fitted within three years but potentially it could be up to five years.  At the Boscobel estate the sprinklers would be installed within a matter of months.  It was important to not overstretch the local supply chains.  Residential sprinklers were a new industry in the region, there was no significant volume of previous installations.  The Merry Hill blocks were complicated and consequently the sprinkler installation would be a logistical challenge. The Chief Executive of Wolverhampton Homes confirmed that the first phase of the sprinkler programme would be delivered through a sub-contracting arrangement.  As the programme progressed, he wanted to potentially train Wolverhampton Homes staff in sprinkler installation and to use his own staff for installation. 

 

The Chair stated that whilst the Hackitt Inquiry did not recommend that sprinklers be mandatory in residential housing, he thought it was inevitable that it would be introduced in the future, as was already the case in Wales and Scotland.  The Moore-Bick Inquiry was still to publish its final report.  He wanted Wolverhampton to be ahead of the game.  He was really pleased with the work that had taken place to date since the Grenfell disaster.  He thought communication from Wolverhampton Homes had been excellent and in particular with the tenants.  Councillor Alan Butt and Cllr Sweetman asked for a briefing note from Wolverhampton Homes on the works that would be taking place in their wards.  The Head of Commercial Services and Stock Investment confirmed he would compile a briefing note and that he would be happy to provide an update every six months on the delivery of the programmes to all Councillors.  The Chair suggested that the proposed six-monthly update briefing should be sent to the Scrutiny Officer for wider circulation to Councillors.