The journey of residents affected by dangerous cladding across the UK has already been long and arduous, but the need for action is stronger than ever.
At the present moment, there are a handful of days left for building managers to apply for funding through the Waking Watch Replacement Fund, which according to the Government announcement when the fund was launched will allow for ‘hundreds more buildings where leaseholders and residents have been forced by their freeholders to pay for costly fire safety patrols will now be able to install fire alarm systems instead at no cost to themselves, saving people on average £163 a month’.
Others have said that this will not cover the full demand for support in order to ensure residents are better protected and saving money compared to the extortionate waking watch payment.
Around 18 months ago, it felt as though the UK’s cladding scandal wasn’t receiving enough coverage or attention and that those responsible would not be held accountable in any significant way.
While the campaign continues to ensure that there is some accountability and further funding is made available to try and boost remediation, the need for mitigation is crucial.
In recent weeks there have been a number of ‘what if’ moments, where building fires have left the public with no choice but to hope and pray that there isn’t a loss of life as a result of this.
On our recent visit to an Intelliclad installation site with Lord Stephen Greenhalgh, Minister of State for Building Safety and Fire, we discussed the need for mitigation measures across the UK. The wait for complete mediation is going to be incredibly long and fraught with complications, but we need to focus on improving safety right now.
Our approach has been held up as an excellent example of innovation in this department by Lord Greenhalgh, with our external smoke detection and internal heat detection combining with smart technology to provide a safer and more cost effective alternative to the Waking Watch.
As this Cladding Crisis continues to evolve, mitigation will remain a key factor in improving fire safety for residents in high rise buildings across the UK.