I DON’T KNOW HOW WE’D GET OUT IF IT HAPPENED HERE, SAYS CAMPAIGNING HIGH-RISE RESIDENT
A COMMUNITY campaigner says residents have been left questioning their own safety by the Grenfell Tower fire in London.
Diane Tait, 33, who came to prominence in the area over her campaign to save Elswick Swimming Pool, says the mood has been dark in the Riverside Dene blocks since the fire.
The blaze, which broke out early on Wednesday morning, is known to have killed at least 30 people.
Sniffer dogs are now being sent into the west London block in a search operation which could last for weeks.
Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered a full public inquiry into the major incident.
Ms Tait lives on the 14th floor of a high-rise block at Riverside Dene, previously Cruddas Park.
The Scotswood Road flats have gone under considerable refurbishment over recent years, including the installation of cladding.
Following this week’s event, residents have been left questioning whether or not they’re safe in their own homes, especially buildings which have been fitted with cladding.
It has been widely reported since the Grenfell Tower fire that it could have been the panelling on the exterior of the building which caused the fire to spread so quickly. Ms Tait said: “Knowing how dangerous this cladding seems to have been is absolutely terrifying.
“I’ve got a six-year-old daughter living with me on the 14th floor and there are other young families living on the same level.
“If there was a fire like that, I don’t know how we would get out.
“Another block has 20 floors of elderly people, many of whom have mobility issues.
“They would have no chance of getting out and their building has the same cladding as ours.”
She says the cladding has been a long-running concern to residents regardless of the fire because it has had the effect of making the flats too hot.
Ms Tait added: “I think these companies care more about aesthetics than the people living inside.
“Everyone is scared. I’ve even heard people talking about buying rope to get out if there’s a fire, which is mad, but people are thinking that way.
“Appearance is not more important than people’s lives.”
The Riverside Dene flats are operated by Your Homes Newcastle, a council-owned company which manages the buildings on behalf of the local authority. A spokesperson for the housing firm said: “Over recent years a number of the city council’s blocks have been improved to enhance thermal efficiency, including external cladding.
“The type of cladding used at Grenfell Tower has not been installed on Newcastle City Council buildings.
“All work undertaken is fully compliant with building regulations.”
Ms Tait said she has also had concerns about the fire alarm system. She said: “I’ve always thought the alarm system left room for danger.
“Before it was installed, we had a concierge who would ring you if your alarm went off and call the fire brigade if no one picked up. “Now, every time an alarm goes off they come out automatically, which is hugely wasteful given that it’s normally just some burnt toast. “The effect of that has been that people no longer evacuate because it happens all the time and people have become complacent.” A Your Homes Newcastle spokesperson said: “The safety of tenants has always been a priority for YHN and, prior to April 2004 (when YHN was established), Newcastle City Council. “For instance, all of the high-rise properties that we manage had been fitted with battery-operated and hardwired smoke detectors even before our last citywide investment programme.” The spokesperson added that all residents had been given fire safety guidance, copies of which are visible around the building, and that £3.3m has been spent on fire prevention measures across its portfolio of properties.