MPs wants more say for residents in wake of Grenfell fire disaster

NEW LAWS put forward by government to reform building safety following the Grenfell Tower disaster must include safeguards for residents and leaseholders, giving them a voice, a group of MPs has said.

People who own flats in a dozen buildings in and around Leeds are already each paying up to £400 a month for 24-hour fire marshalls as an interim measure to avoid being evicted, after West Yorkshire Fire Service inspectors found their buildings were unsafe.

Inspections took place after the Grenfell Tower fire in which 72 people died in 2017. And Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts, who is also the chairman of the Commons Housing, Communities, and Local Government Committee, said MPs will intricately examine new laws to ensure they meet all recommendations.

Mr Betts said: “We must ensure that the lasting legacy of Grenfell isn’t just improvements to the rules and regulations governing how buildings should be made safe. It is vital that there is meaningful and lasting reform that empowers residents and gives them more say in how buildings are run.”

Launching the draft bill last month the government said it would deliver the biggest changes to building safety for nearly 40 years.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “This is a significant milestone on our journey to fundamentally improving building safety and delivering real change that will keep people safer in their homes.”