UPDATED: Sprinklers in ALL High-Rise Blocks not a Community Garden

(15th June 2017): The latest article on Redbridge Towers, following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, is here.

As reported in Tuesday's Daily Echo, we agree with residents that Redbridge Towers should have sprinklers.

Here is the view of fire safety campaigner Lin Bannon Trott, who posted this on the Redbridge Towers fire:

"Yet one more reason to install #Sprinklers"
https://twitter.com/pinklindy42/status/851184847066365952

UPDATED (25th April 2017): Following further conversations with residents of Redbridge Towers, we have confirmed once again that they DO want sprinklers installed. On top of the below, Cllr Pope has told the Labour-run Council once again that they need to find the money for them to be installed.

Residents are very angry that the Council has found the money for the "Arts", a community garden and fancy fencing that residents don't want - but not for sprinklers. And residents told Council officers this at the meeting on the proposed changes to Cuckmere Lane and Studland Close, confirmed by the Council as costing £1.675m.

Councillor Pope campaigning for sprinklers
The Fire Service agreed with our campaign!

We have asked the person responsible for making the decision to NOT install them, Labour Councillor Warwick Payne, Cabinet Member for Housing, to answer questions on sprinklers.

Below are Councillor Payne's rather unhelpful answers to our questions on sprinklers:

1. What do you think of Councillor Payne's answers?
2. Do you agree that he should put the money into sprinklers, instead of spending money on an unwanted community garden and fancy metal fencing on Cuckmere Lane? That is what most residents told us they wanted today.
3. And do you think his views are offensive to all those residents who have told us they want sprinklers?
4. Have you even heard of the "Tenant Resource Group" that Councillor Payne seems to want to blame?

Tell us what you think! 

Contact us on 07580 715 687 or on sotonindies [at] gmail.com or on our Facebook page Southampton Independents.

Questions from Councillor Andrew Pope, Southampton Independents councillor for Redbridge:

Q1: Why did you, the Cabinet and the Leader decide not to fit sprinklers in all high-rise blocks in the City, following the Coroner's recommendation following the Shirley Towers incident?

A: The coroner said landlords should be “encouraged to consider” fitting sprinklers, so it wasn’t a firm direction on his part, just a suggestion. On the back of this, SCC housing chiefs and fire chiefs met to discuss the best way forward, and it was decided jointly that sprinklers would provide the greatest benefit in Shirley Towers and its sister blocks (Sturminster House and Albion Towers) due to their complex layout which makes firefighting more complicated, which is less of an issue at our other towers which have a simpler layout (for example, Redbridge Towers).

Q2: Was this issue raised by OSMC (the Council's chief scrutiny committee which tries to hold the Labour-run Council to account) when it was considered by the Committee in early 2016? If it was, what was your response?

A: Yes, and the response was identical to the above, which was accepted.

Q3: What role did cost have in your decision?

A: Extending the project where it would have much less impact has been discussed with the Tenant Resource Group (which oversees HRA spending) and OSMC. Neither has objected to the current position, which is especially crucial regarding the Tenant Resource Group as it’s their rental income which would have to fund it (there is no government money available for this as far as can be established). Extending sprinkler coverage would cost millions, which perhaps we could justify if residents were clamouring for us to do it, but that hasn’t been the case and, for the record, I haven’t received a single phone call or email today (Monday) from any council tenant in the city asking about sprinklers, at Redbridge Towers or otherwise. In short, I don’t feel like I’ve ever had a firm mandate from tenants to spend their cash in this way.

Q4: In making this decision, did you consult with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and who was your contact?

A: As mentioned above, HFRS chiefs shaped the proposals jointly with us, so they weren’t just consultees, they worked out the details with us and were in the room all along.

UPDATE on Fire at Redbridge Towers

The outside fire damage to Redbridge Towers

Southampton Independents campaigners Denise Wyatt and Councillor Andrew Pope attended the scene of the fire at Redbridge Towers on Sunday night.

We now provide an update to the initial statement we released after we had been at the scene.

We were there for several hours and we tried to keep residents informed and we also asked for the school to be opened.

Since that night, we have been back to the block and spoken to more residents.

We have provided statements to ITV Meridian News and to the Daily Echo.

Front Page of the Daily Echo, Tuesday 11th April 2017

In those statements, we have spoken up for local residents of Redbridge Towers and Cuckmere Lane.

Today, we spent the afternoon speaking to more residents.

Residents are not happy with the response from the Labour-run Council:

- with the events leading up to the fire
- with how the Council handled the fire and the evacuation
- with how the Council failed to keep them informed, and failed to look after their welfare
- with how the Council has responded since the fire

To give an example of the Labour-run Council's failures, Councillor Pope asked, and then asked again, for an update regarding the release of the occupant of the flat where the fire started.

This was because residents contacted us to ask whether that person would be returning to Redbridge Towers. Obviously they would be concerned if that person would be returning.

It was confirmed by the Police that there is a continuing investigation, and as reported by the Daily Echo today, the only suspect was released.

Officers did not respond to Councillor Pope's emails. Eventually, the senior housing officer called Councillor Pope today.

Councillor Pope agreed with that officer to inform residents of the following:

"The occupant of the flat where the fire started will NOT be returning to Redbridge Towers for the foreseeable future."

Southampton Independents would like to be able to say more, but we are sorry that we cannot at this stage.

However, we hope this statement will reassure residents for the time being.

Residents remain angry and that was very clear when we spoke with them again today.

Hampshire Police have asked residents to call 101 if they have any information relating to the ongoing investigation.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service continue their investigation into the cause of the fire.

Southampton Independents work on the issues that matter to Southampton people.

We do not jump to party-political instruction, unlike Labour or Tory, who always give you the same old story.

Please continue to give us information, and we will try to get you answers.

Best wishes,
Denise Wyatt and Councillor Andrew Pope

Fire at Redbridge Towers

Following the fire at Redbridge Towers this evening, Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope, ward Councillor for Redbridge, has issued the following statement:

"I have personally thanked the Police and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service for their excellent response in ensuring that no serious injuries were sustained.

However, I was concerned that tenants of Southampton City Council and local residents were not being kept informed by Council officers.

No facilities were made available, despite requests by residents, on what was a cold night. Some residents and children were clearly traumatised and understandably so.

I understand that the Police and Fire Service are already investigating the cause.

I have already begun investigating what the Council did and did not do prior to this unfortunate incident, and have asked for an urgent update."