Burnham to ensure all tower blocks are fire-proof

GREATER Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is to call an urgent meeting with all high-rise landlords in the region to ensure every single block is safely fire-proofed.

All public sector and private owners will be called in to meet specialist fire officers in the coming days to discuss lessons from the horrific Grenfell Tower blaze in London, in which at least 17 people died.

The first victim was named by the Syria Solidarity Campaign as Syrian refugee Mohammed Alhajali, 23. A public inquiry is due to be held into the disaster.

There are 178 council or former council tower blocks across Greater Manchester, with more than 60 of them in Manchester.

Many of those – like Grenfell Tower – have had outer cladding put on them in recent years to improve their appearance and heat efficiency. Councils and housing providers are now carrying out safety checks. However, there has also been a boom in new-build privatelyowned tower blocks, particularly in the city centre and Salford.

Mr Burnham, who oversees fire services for the region, will now be convening an urgent meeting with both public and private sector landlords so residents can be reassured and fire safety policy reviewed.

“I first and foremost want to offer my condolences and sympathies to all those who have been affected by the awful Grenfell Tower fire and praise the courage and professionalism of the emergency services who responded,” he said. “Clearly our attention must now turn to fire safety here in Greater Manchester. We want to provide real