Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal]

This report seeks approval for the award of a contract for the installation of Automatic Fire Detection (AFD) and associated works to converted scattered Victorian and Edwardian street dwellings.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal introduced this report which sought approval for the award of a contract for the installation of Automatic Fire Detection (AFD) and associated works to converted scattered Victorian and Edwardian street dwellings.

The Cabinet Member noted that the Street Property Victorian Houses that were converted into flats in the late 1960s and 1970s, would not meet current Building Regulation Standards or conform to The Regulatory (Fire Safety) Order. Guidance recommended that where full compartmentation cannot be assured these types of properties would be best served by the installation of an Automatic Fire Detection system. This system with the appropriate upgrade of the fire doors and means of escape route would allow early simultaneously evacuation of the building in case a fire breaks out in any flat.

The Cabinet Member closed by drawing Cabinet’s attention to the recommendations, including noting the full cost of the works. It was noted that the leaseholders would be charged for the works carried out.

In response to questions from Councillor das Neves and Barnes, the following information was provided:

• The Cabinet Member noted all wards in the borough were affected by the scattered Edwardian and Victorian dwellings.

• Regarding reference to the report stating Councillors had been consulted, Officers informed that they would check what involvement the Councillors had had in the process. The Cabinet Member added that the key decision had been listed on the Forward Plan for a significant period of time.

• Regarding the decision as to why the affected leaseholders in this report would be charged for the work carried out whilst those affected leaseholders at item 19 – ‘1-35 Headcorn Road and 51-92 Tenterden Road – Fire Safety Works’ were not being charged for those works carried out, was because the latter was to do with the structure of the whole building, which the Council had a responsibility to ensure was maintained. Where leaseholders had exercised their right to buy and purchased their Victorian or Edwardian property, there would have been an assessment carried out which would have made those leaseholders aware that they could be charged in the future for such works.

• Officers noted that at Headcorn and Tenterden, works had been carried out in the past where leaseholders had financially contributed towards those works. It was arguable that those works should have included work either to improve the compartmentation or fit the fire detection. It was also arguable that those works could have contributed to the problem.

Further to considering exempt information at item 28,

RESOLVED

1. Pursuant to the Council’s Contract Standing Order (CSO) 9.07.1 (d), to approve the award of contract to the successful tenderer (named in the exempt part of the report) for the installation of Automatic Fire Detection (AFD) and associated works, in the sum of £7,876,259.98.

2. To approve the issuing of a letter of intent for an amount of up to, but not exceeding, £787,625.99. This represents 10% of the contract sum.

3. To approve the total professional  ...  view the full minutes text for item 170