New deadlines set for fixing dangerous cladding – BBC News

‘Plans to speed up the removal of unsafe cladding, including target dates for making buildings safe and tougher penalties for refusing to act, have been announced by ministers.’

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BBC News, 2nd December 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Roof Gardens and Higher-Risk Buildings – A tale of one too many storeys. – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 18th, 2024 in building law, fire, health & safety, landlord & tenant, news, repairs by tracey

‘David Owens and Helen Arthur explore a recent First Tier Tribunal decision regarding the meaning of “higher-risk building’ under the Building Safety Act 2022.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th November 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Improvement or remediation, or both? – Local Government Lawyer

‘Robert Bowker considers how the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has dealt with fire safety cases where an improvement notice under the Housing Act 2004 has been served and an application for a remediation order under s. 123 of the Building Safety Act 2022 has been made.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th November 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Watchdog says cladding removal deadline may be missed – BBC News

‘The government could miss its own cladding removal completion date if progress is not made to speed up the process, the UK’s spending watchdog has said. In a new report, external, the National Audit Office (NAO) said up to 60% of buildings with dangerous cladding had still not been identified by the government, and at its current rate of progress it was due to miss its own estimated completion date of 2035 for the works.’

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BBC News, 4th November 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Woman found guilty over deaths of four home-alone sons in fire – The Guardian

‘A woman has been found guilty over the deaths of her four young sons in a fire at their home in London after she left them alone to go shopping.’

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The Guardian. 3rd October 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Property boss jailed over sale of ‘unsafe’ flats – BBC News

Posted October 2nd, 2024 in building law, disclosure, fire, fraud, health & safety, housing, imprisonment, news, sentencing by tracey

‘A property developer who put “lives at risk” by falsifying building work documents and selling “unsafe” flats has been jailed.’

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BBC News, 2nd October 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Public inquiries should be shorter and recommendations tracked, Lords says – The Guardian

Posted September 16th, 2024 in accidents, building law, construction industry, delay, fire, inquiries, news, select committees by tracey

‘Public inquiries should be shortened and the progress of their recommendations tracked, according to a House of Lords committee, which says a major overhaul is required to restore public confidence among victims and survivors.’

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The Guardian, 16th September 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Grenfell families criticise report for ignoring impact on diverse communities – The Guardian

‘Grenfell families have criticised the final inquiry report on the disaster for failing to fully address the disproportionate impact the tragedy had on diverse and marginalised communities.’

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The Guardian, 5th September 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Justice for Grenfell deaths may not come this decade, warns former chief prosecutor – The Guardian

‘Justice for those responsible for the 72 deaths in the Grenfell Tower fire may not come until the end of this decade, a former chief prosecutor has warned, as survivors voiced growing fury over building firms’ “arrogant” refusal to admit wrongdoing.’

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The Guardian, 5th September 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

The final Grenfell inquiry report and what it means for families – Politics Weekly UK – The Guardian

‘The 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London was the result of ‘decades of failure’ by central government, the public inquiry into the catastrophe has found. The Guardian’s John Harris looks at the findings of the report with the social affairs leader writer Susanna Rustin. And, as Labour continues to warn ‘things will get worse before they get better’, we are joined by the economists James Meadway and Ann Pettifor to discuss whether a painful period of austerity-lite is the only way through the storm.’

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The Guardian, 5th September 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Grenfell Report: Key findings from the inquiry – BBC News

Posted September 5th, 2024 in bereavement, construction industry, fire, health & safety, inquiries, London, news, reports by sally

‘The Grenfell Inquiry’s final report sets out how a chain of failures across government and the private sector led to Grenfell Tower becoming a death trap.’

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BBC News, 4th September 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Waste company pays £100k to Nature Recovery Project after fire at site – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 4th, 2024 in enforcement, environmental protection, fire, local government, news, pollution, waste by tracey

‘A West Midlands waste operator has paid £100,000 to a local wildlife project as an Enforcement Undertaking following a fire at one of its sites.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd September 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘Grenfell is a warning to the world’: The survivors still searching for justice – The Independent

‘As the Grenfell inquiry prepares to publish its final report into the 2017 tower block fire that killed 72, Nadine White speaks to those still grappling with its tragic legacy.’

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The Independent, 1st September 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Fire chiefs call for legal duty to respond to extreme weather in England – The Guardian

Posted August 23rd, 2024 in emergency services, fire, news, standards, statutory duty by tracey

‘NFCC says statutory safety standards would raise emergency response to flooding and wildfires in line with rest of UK.’

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The Guardian, 23rd August 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Hotel fire risks: Duties and the law – Kingsley Napley Regulatory Blog

Posted August 21st, 2024 in chambers articles, fire, hotels, news by sally

‘According to Home Office data, in 2023-2024 in England alone, 587 hotels, boarding houses or hostels had primary fires, of these 458 were accidental, two involved accidental fatalities and there were 92 non fatal casualties.’

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Kingsley Napley Regulatory Blog, 19th August 2024

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

How 1960s tragedies triggered a life-saving law – BBC News

Posted July 31st, 2024 in accidents, bereavement, employment, fire, health & safety, legal history, news by sally

‘Since the 1800s, laws had been passed to try to keep people safe at work.’

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BBC News, 31st July 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Grenfell bereaved and survivors must wait until 2027 for suspects to face trial – The Guardian

‘The bereaved and survivors of Grenfell Tower must wait until at least 2027 – a decade after the blaze that killed 72 people – before those suspected of being responsible for the disaster could face criminal trials, it has emerged.’

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The Guardian, 22nd May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Jamie Barrow: Man who murdered family has jail sentence reduced – BBC News

Posted May 15th, 2024 in appeals, arson, fire, imprisonment, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man who killed a mother and her two daughters by setting fire to a flat has had his sentence reduced.’

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BBC News, 14th May 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Improvement notices under s.12 Housing Act 2004 – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 8th, 2024 in building law, fire, health & safety, housing, local government, news, repairs by tracey

‘The First Tier Tribunal recently considered the use of Improvement Notices under s.12 of Housing Act 2004 to address concerns regarding the fire safety of residential property containing cladding similar to that present on Grenfell Tower. Archie Maddan analyses its ruling.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th May 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Update on the Article 2 investigative duty in inquests: R. (on the application of Parkin) v HM Coroner for Inner London (East) [2024] EWHC 744 (Admin) – Landmark Chambers

‘In R. (on the application of Parkin) v HM Coroner for Inner London (East) [2024] EWHC 744 (Admin), the High Court considered the question of whether an Article 2 investigative duty arises in an inquest in circumstances where the individual concerned was living in their own home; had capacity, and exposed themselves to danger.’

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Landmark Chambers, 16th April 2024

Source: www.landmarkchambers.co.uk