Woking flats have unsafe cladding and residents fear it could 'go up like Grenfell'

A block of flats in Woking has unsafe cladding and marshals are patrolling the building 24 hours a day in case there is a fire, with residents fearing it could "go up like Grenfell".

Southern Housing Group (SHG), which owns and manages Eastgate, in Station Approach, has identified that the exterior rendering and insulation of the building are not in line with "current safety standards".

Since October, the group has introduced a number of "safety works" including changing the evacuation procedure from 'stay-put' to 'evacuate', and introducing a 24-hour waking watch.

However, residents are concerned that, if a fire breaks out in the nine-storey building, the devastation could be similar to the Grenfell fire in 2017 which killed 72 people.

Lou Wilkie lives with her two sons, aged 15 and 18, on the third floor and is worried for her family's safety. She said she thinks the building, which was completed in 2003, is in a "terrible state".

The 39-year-old said: "It does not make me feel good. It is a ticking time bomb and you do not know what is going to happen; anything could go wrong.

"I am on medication which sometimes knocks me out like a horse, and if there was a fire, I would not know about it unless my kids told me and woke me up."

She added: "I have mental health issues and it does get too much for me, especially not knowing if I'm safe or not."

Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "You have the worry about whether your block is going to be ablaze when you are sleeping.

"I could be dead in three months."

SHG has confirmed that Aluminium Composite Material (ACM), which was the primary cause of the Grenfell fire, has not been used in the construction of Eastgate.

Fire wardens are on site 24 hours a day, patrolling the building both internally and externally. They wear a hi-vis vest with "fire marshal" written on the back.

In a letter dated December 10, 2019, seen by SurreyLive, SHG said the fire wardens' job is to "alert [residents] if there is a fire and assist in evacuation".

However, there are fears the more elderly residents may not be able to evacuate the building.

Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "If this place goes up, it is going to go up like Grenfell and there is no protection for anyone. There are so many kids and vulnerable people here.

"I am alright because I can do the stairs, but some of the elderly people, they would be charcoal if it went up."

In their most recent letter to residents, dated January 20, SHG said it had completed its investigations and identified "essential remedial work [is] needed".

However, this work will not commence until the summer as there are "additional steps that need to be taken", including further investigations and obtaining planning permissions.

It reads: "[Our experts] have found that the materials used in the construction of Eastgate do not contain ACM cladding of the sort you may have read about, but they have identified that there is essential remedial work needed to bring the exterior rendering and insulation of the building into line with current safety standards.

"In order to comply with current safety standards, the exterior rendering and the existing insulation of the building needs to be removed and replaced with insulation and render that fully complies with current standards."

Last week, the housing secretary Robert Jenrick warned that the slow pace of improving building safety standards will not be tolerated.

Building owners are responsible for ensuring their buildings are safe, and if there is no clear plan for remediation, the government will work with local authorities to support them in their enforcement options.

Woking MP Jonathan Lord said: "There are strict guidelines in place and owners of buildings need to remedy any unsafe buildings as soon as they are practically able to do so.

"I am pleased to hear that Southern Housing Group has put in place the right set of fire warden regulations, but I would urge them to act as soon as possible to remedy any materials that are unsafe."

Graham Whitfield, chairman of the Surrey branch of the Fire Brigades Union, added: "We would advocate the complete removal of the cladding with the utmost urgency; the last thing we would want is another Grenfell, especially in Woking."

Both Woking Borough Council and Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have confirmed that they are aware of the issue and are working with SHG to ensure the building is safe.

However, SFRS explained that actions taken at Eastgate are by the responsible person for the building, in agreement with local building control officers.

Chris Harris, executive director of customer services for SHG said: "We are working with the fire authority and the local authority and both have confirmed that the precautions we have put in place, and our programme of work to bring the building up to current safety standards, mean that there is no cause for alarm.

"The safety of our residents is our first priority. We understand that fire safety is of increasing public concern. We have put in place extra precautions. These include a 24-hour waking watch.

"There is a working audible fire alarm at the building and we have updated the evacuation policy. Following advice from the fire brigade, the policy is to evacuate the building in the event of a fire."

He added: "We work with our customers to identify all additional support needs. To assist all residents, the fire safety team is on watch 24/7.

"Our safety programme measures are kept under constant review, not only to ensure that we protect the safety and wellbeing of our residents but also so that, as a responsible building owner, we keep up to date with the government's evolving safety guidelines."