'We're living in a ticking time bomb'
BBCResidents of one of the UK's largest housing associations have said they fear another Grenfell-type blaze after multiple fire risks were identified at their block of flats and the sounders on their homes' fire alarms were removed.
Malcolm Preston told the BBC that Southern Housing (SH) had failed to act on a fire report that found Humphreys House in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, was covered in "dangerous" cladding and had balconies and a roof terrace made of flammable timber.
"We are sitting in a ticking time bomb," he said. "All it takes is for someone to drop a cigarette."
In a statement, SH said its "top priority" was ensuring the safety and wellbeing of residents and that comparisons with Grenfell were "inaccurate".
"We're committed to resolving any issues responsibly and transparently," they continued.
"Any suggestion that this situation at Humphreys House parallels the tragic events at Grenfell Tower is not only inaccurate, but deeply misleading."
The 2023 fire report recommended that SH remove and replace the "high-risk" cladding, which covers 80% of the building's exterior wall, and the combustible decking on the roof terrace.
Cladding is a layer of material that is added to buildings to increase insulation or weather protection, or improve their appearance. Some cladding has been found to be flammable, sparking a nationwide building safety crisis.
An inquiry into the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in west London, which killed 72 people, said cladding helped the flames spread because it was made of combustible material.
Mr Preston said people in the five-storey building were living in fear as SH had "done nothing" to solve the fire risks and had left them in the dark about what is happening.
"If there is a fire downstairs, it will whip round this building," he said. "It's pretty frightening."
Another worry, said another resident at the property who wished to remain anonymous, was that residents could have to evacuate onto the flammable roof terrace and balconies in the event of a fire.
Mr Preston said SH staff "turn a deaf ear" when residents ask for information and have ignored their concerns.
'Driving us really, really crazy'
SH said it continued to "proactively address the building safety crisis".
"We were one of the first organisations to decide not to charge leaseholders for cladding-related works and among the first to assess properties under 18 metres in height," they continued.
Despite "significant challenges", the housing association said it remained "unwavering in our commitment to completing all required remedial works as swiftly as possible".
"We have kept all residents fully informed," they added, saying they had sent out detailed communications outlining fire safety assessments, evacuation strategies and guidance on what to do in the event of a fire.
The anonymous resident told the BBC that fire alarms in the flats kept going off sporadically without reason, often waking up residents in the middle of the night and forcing them out of the building.
There were occasions when the alarms, which the resident described as "faulty" and "extremely loud", would go off twice in one day.
Residents would at times have to wait several hours for them to be switched off by someone coming down from London, she added.
"It was driving us really, really crazy," said Mr Preston.
The anonymous resident said SH responded by removing the sounders of the alarms in residents' flats in March, which left her "anxious" as she could not hear the corridor alarms from her home.
"I have no way of knowing if there is a fire," she added. "Some of us have been having sleepless nights."
SH has in place a 'stay put' policy at Humphreys House, meaning that in the event of a fire residents are advised to remain in their homes.
The BBC has seen correspondence from SH in which it states the sounders will be removed from one resident's flat in keeping with this policy.
SH said an independent expert had confirmed the building is compliant with a stay put policy as it is "designed to contain a fire within the flat where it starts, limiting the risk to other residents".
The housing association, which has 80,000 homes across the UK, told the BBC: "In line with expert recommendations, we've updated the fire safety systems to ensure alignment with the stay put policy, including removing some of the in-flat equipment.
"Importantly, every flat is required to have at least one working smoke alarm. Residents are encouraged to contact us immediately if their alarm is missing or not functioning," they added.
In a statement, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said it was "satisfied" with the 'stay put' evacuation policy in place at the flats.
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