Urgent safety review for Fife tower blocks

An urgent safety review of Fife’s tower blocks will start today in a bid to reassure residents in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy.

Head of housing John Mills will visit the 14-storey Ravenscraig flats in Kirkcaldy to inspect cladding and go over health and safety procedures.

The three blocks, which had overcladding installed in 2014, are the first of a number of high-rise homes across the region to be inspected following last week’s horrific fire in London, in which 79 people are now known to have died.

Privately-owned Raeburn Heights in Glenrothes will be included in the review, as well as flats including in the 2017/18 cladding programme.

Representatives of the tenants and residents association have also been invited, along with local councillors and council officers.

Fife Council has already given an assurance that the cladding, also installed at blocks in Methil and Dunfermline, are non-combustible.

They were last inspected in December.

Ravenscraig tenants and residents will receive further safety assurances at a public meeting in Kirkcaldy at the end of this month.

Kirkcaldy east councillor Rod Cavanagh has organised the event for St Clair Tavern next Thursday.

People living in flats at nearby Orkney Place and Forth View, which are included in this year’s over-cladding programme, have also been invited.

Mr Cavanagh said: “Following the terrible fire at the Grenfell Tower block in London last Wednesday, I have sought to reassure residents of the Ravenscraig flats by passing on information from Fife Council and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service regarding the safety of the recently applied cladding.

“The materials used in the external wall insulation achieve a class zero fire rating which means it is non-combustible and does not promote flame spread.

The meeting starts at 7pm.