Agenda item

The Director of Governance and Commissioning provided Members with an update on the Service’s 2016-17 Integrated Risk Management Plan programmes and projects by taking them through the health report, attached as Appendix 1.

The Director of Governance and Commissioning drew Members’ attention to the programmes and projects which previously and currently had an amber status within the health report.  He informed Members of the progress made in respect of the Blue Light Collaboration Programme and explained the challenges the Service faced concerning the delivery of the programme by April 2018.  He referred Members to updates on Penketh and Lymm fire stations, highlighting areas where minor delays and snagging had occurred. 

He informed Members that they would receive an update concerning the duty system reviews and on call recruitment situation for Ellesmere Port and Crewe at the Members’ Planning Day scheduled for 14^th July 2017. 

The Director of Governance and Commissioning concluded by referring Members to the update within the report on the Authority’s sprinkler campaign.  He informed Members that an update would be taken to Members at the Committee’s meeting in September to provide a position statement in light of the recent incident at Grenfell Tower in North Kensington.  A Member queried whether officers could provide details of the cost of retrospectively fitting sprinklers in properties.  It was agreed that this information would be provided at the Committee’s meeting in September.

A Member requested clarification concerning the increased risk score for Crewe and Ellesmere Port on call recruitment within the health report.  The Deputy Chief Fire Officer informed Members that the increased risk related to the delivery of the project and not to service levels.

A Member welcomed the decision to take further information on the Authority’s sprinkler campaign to Members later in the year.  He reminded Members that the Service had campaigned for a change in legislation concerning sprinklers and had approached housing associations, landlords and property owners regarding the installation of sprinklers.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer informed Members that the Authority had led on the sprinkler campaign and that the Service had offered to jointly fund/subsidise the installation of sprinklers.  He informed Members that offers were being renewed and that a budget remained in place.  He also advised that the Service did not currently have the legislative right to enter private homes.  He reiterated that Members would receive regular updates on the Service’s work and progress concerning sprinklers and that Members who sat on the Sprinkler Group would be invited to the Committee’s meeting in September.

A Member queried what the Service was currently doing in Cheshire to reassure residents with concerns about the safety of their homes.  The Director of Governance and Commissioning informed Members that the Service had been informed that no cladding of the type fitted at Grenfell Tower had been found on tower blocks in Cheshire. However, there was a need to consider other types of cladding from a fire safety perspective. The Service did not have the facilities to test the cladding.  The Head of Protection and Organisational Performance informed Members that cladding had been removed from several tower blocks within the area.

A Member queried whether the Service had any legislative powers concerning compliance and the safety of unregulated, multiple occupancy housing and how the Authority could improve this situation.  The Deputy Chief Fire Officer informed Members that the Service worked alongside building inspectors and could prosecute if fire safety issues were found in unregistered homes in multiple occupation.  He highlighted the importance of local intelligence from Members.  He informed Members that information would be provided to Members concerning the work of the Service’s fire prevention team.

RESOLVED: That

[1]       the End of Year IRMP Programmes and Projects Review for 2016-17 be noted.