BLAZE FEARS OVER NAVY’S £125MILLION SUPERMESS
Repair costs could reach £16.5million MoD’S CONCERNS ABOUT LEISURE COMPLEX
Ministry of Defence chiefs have launched an investigation amid fears potentially combustible materials have been used to build a £125million leisure venue at Faslane naval base.
The faci l ity – dubbed a supermess – boasts a shopping mal l , bars, restaurants, a 300-seater cinema and even its own bowling alley.
But fire safety experts have raised concerns about the venue following checks.
The MoD confirmed they have stepped up fire safety patrols at the site and are in discussions with contractors Morgan Sindall to deal with the problem.
They refused to reveal which material had caused alarm but insisted it was not the same product blamed for causing the fire in London’s Grenfell flats to spread earlier this year.
It has been suggested it could cost up to £16.5million to carry out work to make the facility safe.
The MoD have insisted that the contractors will pick up the tab for repairs – not the taxpayer.
A source said: “This is a real headache for the MoD and Morgan Sindall.
“After what happened with the Grenfell flats, fire safety is a big issue, and fire safety tests carried out at Faslane have clearly identified a possible problem.”
The MoD announced plans for the £125million supermess at Faslane in 2006 and it took almost four years to complete.
The Navy boasted Faslane would have the “biggest and best” military accommodation in the UK when it was opened.
They said the development was to be f ive times the size of Scotland’s largest hotel and included a raft of on-site facilities for the 6000 Faslane employees.
Announcing the development, Captain Martin Atherton said: “HM Naval Base Clyde is home to some of the most important aspects of the Royal Navy’s work. It is crucial we attract and retain the best people.
“The new accommodation is vital because we need to make Faslane as attractive as possible for the people who will live there.
“We have staff living up to 800 miles from home for months. They have to feel comfortable.”
The MoD confirmed that their Defence Inf ra s t r uc tur e Organisation (DIO) are in talks with Morgan Sindall to address the safety concerns.
A spokesman said: “All defects that are the responsibility of the contractor will be rectified at the contractor’s own expense.
“The MoD entered into immediate discussions with the contractor to rectify issues with the supermess at HMNB Clyde as soon as they became apparent.
“DIO and the contractor are working together to f ind a suitable solution to meet the standards for this facility.
“The MoD take safety extremely seriously and, following advice from fire safety officers, have put additional measures in place to allow safe use of the supermess. These have included increased fire patrols at the site.
“The issues with the supermess are different from the contributing factors to the Grenfell fire. There is no aluminium composite material on the external façade of the building. There is no sleeping accommodation and there are multiple means of escape staircases within the building. The supermess also has a simultaneous evacuation policy in the event of a fire.
“The fire risk assessment has been reviewed by the Defence Fire Risk Management Organisation resulting in additional f ire mitigation measures being put in place. These measures have been overseen by the independent defence safety authority Defence Fire Safety Regulators and a g reed a s su i table and sufficient to protect occupants of the supermess.”
A Morgan Sindall spokesman said: “Safety is of the utmost importance. We’re working with the MoD to implement a final programme of works, relating to passive fire measures.
“As stated by the MoD, the supermess is compliant with all fire risk assessments carried out in accordance with the Fire Act Scotland.”