Fire tests not carried out in new West End student flats
A STUDENT housing provider has been accused of putting profit above safety after hundreds of tenants were moved into unlicensed flats which haven’t been fully assessed by fire chiefs.
Firefighters have been called out to Scotway House, in the West End, on 12 occasions since it opened last month.
But they weren’t able to complete an audit of the building before students moved in as developer Structured House Group hadn’t secured a certificate from Glasgow City Council to confirm building works were complete.
The operators of the Castlebank Street property have also failed to supply the required gas certificate.
Licensing chiefs turned down their bid for houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licences for 33 flats, housing 169, mainly international, students.
Laws governing HMOs were introduced in 2000 after two young men died in a flat fire on Melrose Street in the Woodlands area of the city.
Councillor Elspeth Kerr said: “We want to stop that happening again. I’m absolutely aghast at what I’m hearing. Are peoples’ lives expendable?”
Company director Brian Smith said: “Not at all. The decision was borne out of safety.”
But Ms Kerr said: “I think it was borne out of money. I think it would have been far safer if you had said we’re not ready yet.”
Mr Smith responded: “The majority of the students were already in the country. They were effectively our responsibility.”
A fire service spokesman said the call-outs all related to cooking incidents, adding firefighters had offered advice to the property owners.
The council will consider its options, which could include reporting the incident to the Procurator Fiscal. A further 230 students live on the site in homes which do not require a licence.