Fire-risk flats evacuated after owner's 'inaction'

Families had to be evacuated from a block of flats after lengthy inaction from its owner caused it to become a fire risk, a senior firefighter said.

The emergency intervention at Redstone House, Harlow, led to those affected being placed in temporary accommodation since 7 May.

Dan Wastell, from the Essex fire service, said the building was no longer tenable because his safety concerns were "so significant".

The BBC has been unable to contact Dunlap Property Solutions, which owns the property.

It was first asked to make immediate fire safety improvements in early 2024, according to Mr Wastell.

He said: "There were significant issues within the building, which meant should a fire occur, there was potential for increased fire spread."

Further inspections found there was not a "suitable and sufficient" fire alarm system, so a waking watch - or a patrolling officer - was imposed as an interim solution.

However, Mr Wastell said "there were concerns about the validity" of the arrangement, and the service decided to evacuate the building.

"We know there's young children within the building," he continued.

"As such, any decision to undertake the issue of a prohibition notice is very much a last resort.

"The [fire safety] concerns are so significant that it's now untenable for those persons to live within that building."

Redstone House was the second property in Harlow to be served a prohibition notice in the past 11 months.

In June 2024, the fire service deemed there was a "threat to life" at Joseph Rank House and instructed people to leave 44 flats.

Both incidents reawakened a debate about the suitability of housing people in converted office blocks, made easier by permitted development rules.

Chris Vince, the Labour MP for Harlow, recently told the BBC: "There is absolutely a concern something like this could happen again."

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