Setting high standards: Camden tower block among first in capital to be awarded safety certificate from regulator
Camden Council has become the second local authority in London to have one of its high-rise residential buildings formally recognised for safety standards by the Building Safety Regulator.
A Building Safety Certificate has been awarded to the Gillfoot block, on the Ampthill Estate near Euston Station, following the submission of a detailed report to the regulator outlining the actions the Council is taking to maintain high safety standards for its residents and the building.
Under the Building Safety Act, owners of high-rise residential buildings are required to register them with the Building Safety Regulator and to submit a safety report when called upon.
Camden Council manages 188 high-rise residential properties, each with a Building Safety Manager who completes monthly inspections.
All 188 buildings are registered with the Building Safety Regulator and so far, the Regulator has asked the Council to submit safety reports for 12 of them.
These reports must demonstrate how the Council is actively working to keep residents safe in their homes, how each building is managed and regularly inspected, and how it was constructed and the materials used.
Gillfoot is the first of the 12 buildings to be assessed and certified by the Regulator and Building Safety Certificates for the remaining 11 buildings are expected in the coming months.
Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our residents. It is our number one priority and as a Council, we are committed to delivering the highest standard of resident safety.
Being among the first councils in London to have a residential high-rise building recognised by the Regulator for excellent safety standards shows that we are delivering on this commitment to our residents.
But we know that our work does not stop there. We want all of our high-rise residential buildings to be certified for achieving the same high standards of fire safety, and for every one of our tenants to live in a home that is safe, damp-free and of a high quality.
Camden Council has made a clear and public commitment to achieving the highest standard of resident safety and, since 2017, has invested more than £200million in improving the safety of its housing.
The comprehensive programme of fire safety works includes key practical measures such as:
- Publishing all fire risk assessments (FRAs)
- Ensuring homes have appropriate fire doors, emergency lighting, fire alarms, and fire stopping
- Ongoing gas safety checks in more than 13,000 homes
- Regular electrical testing in 23,000 homes
- Regular fire risk assessments in over 3,200 buildings, with high-risk blocks assessed on an annual basis - Camden has completed over 40,000 fire safety actions since 2020
- Fire alarm testing and communal area checks four times a year in our street properties, with regular health and safety inspections by our caretakers on estates
- Working with residents to remove combustible items
In July 2021 the Council introduced its Fire and Building Safety Charter which guides this work.
The Council has a dedicated fire and building safety team and is an active participant on the Early Adopter groups set up by Government and the Health & Safety Executive to develop best practice and shape regulations in relation to Fire and Building Safety.
An annual Fire and Building Safety Charter report goes to every Council home to let residents know how Camden is performing in delivering high fire and building safety standards and the work that it is doing to keep residents safe in their homes.