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In the light of the horrific fire in West London in June, it is time to overhaul the fire assessment regime for flats says 1st Sure MD Paul Robertson The tragic event at Grenfell Tower will haunt many of us for some time. For those working in the residential property sector the fire - described even by the emergency services as “unprecedented” - raises a number of difficult questions. I have been asked several times in the last few days what insurers are going to do in response to concerns over the claddi

In the early hours of the morning of Wednesday 14th June 2017 a fire started in a fourth floor flat within Grenfell Tower, West London. The numbing and harrowing events that unfolded in the short time after shocked the world and perhaps led us all to question our confidence in the safety of our built environment.   The live images were broadcast as we watched in horror, agonising for those trapped and witnessing homes and lives consumed by fire.   We are all fortunate enough to live in a world where such

The recent fire in Grenfell Tower in West London provoked a lot of comments in the media. A thought should be shared with those affected, as losing a loved one must be the most unsettling of events that anyone can suffer. This impact on individuals will remain for the rest of their lives, long after the public outcry has passed and is without measure the most significant impact of this fire.   For the moment a lot is written about the events, its causes and what the fallout might be. This will be a comple

Bolt Burdon Solicitors are hosting a panel drawn from across the property sector for a discussion about valuation pitfalls under the 1967 and 1993 Acts and how to avoid valuation negligence claims.  The panel includes:  Nicola McQuillan, Senior Solicitor at Bolt Burdon Solicitors, specialising in leasehold negligence  Piers Harrison, Barrister at Tanfield Chambers and author of Leasehold Enfranchisement Law and Practice  Mark Wilson, Managing Director of MyLeasehold Ltd and a founding member of ALEP 

Housing and building experts will face many months of questions in the wake of the tragic Grenfell Tower blaze.   As the horrific images were being broadcast, the finger of blame was being pointed at the building’s recent refurbishment – where cladding that had been fitted appeared to fuel the flames.   The cladding is not the only question that the public and authorities will ask for the inquiry promised by Theresa May. The probe will need to answer the following:   Is there a need to retrofit sprinklers

A chilling blog written seven months ago by residents of Grenfell Tower claimed that only a “catastrophic event” would highlight the “dangerous living conditions” at the 24-storey block.   Survivors of the disaster told journalists that they had raised a host of concerns about the risk of fire – particularly that there was only one escape route – but they were “brushed away” by the council’s tenant management organisation.   They said fire risk concerns about the placement of boilers and gas pipes; the ab

Several people have been killed in a huge fire at a block of flats in West London. The tower block is 24 storeys high and contains 120 apartments. The fire started in the early hours of Wednesday morning. London ambulance service said they were called at 1.29am and 20 crews raced to the scene. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) have confirmed there have been “a number of fatalities” and at least 50 people have been taken to the hospital so far, according to London Ambulance Service. One resident said he only d

The former Housing Minister who had promised to drive through major leasehold reforms but lost his seat in the General Election has been appointed Theresa May’s Chief of Staff. As MP, Gavin Barwell had grasped his leasehold brief extremely well and was taking active steps to improve the sector and tackle some of its inherent injustices. He also committed to fully funding the Leasehold Advisory Service, so that it would no longer pursue commercial activities and instead focus on its original remit of prov

Sky have introduced a brand new, free-of-charge* solution making it even easier for residents to get Sky Q in their flat.  The new Plug-In Adapter also makes the process quicker and simpler for Managing Agents by cutting out the need to reconfigure the existing communal TV system. ·      The installation process begins when the resident calls Sky to request Sky Q. ·      The resident will then contact the Managing Agent regarding access to the communal system. ·      Once access is granted, a Sky approved

Amongst the shock results from the snap election called by Prime Minister Theresa May, was the defeat of Tory MP and Housing Minister, Gavin Barwell. Barwell fully grasped his leasehold brief and often promised that the leasehold sector would not be forgotten. One of his key commitments was to fully fund the Leasehold Advisory Service which provides support to millions of leaseholders around the Country, so that it would cease the need for all commercial activity. It remains to be seen whether a newly app

Following 20 years in residential property management, IRPM Fellow Jonathan Channing has joined highly reputable maintenance and compliance contractor Masterfix. Asked why he made the move from managing agent to maintenance management, Jonathan replied, "Well, to provide such vital services to the property management industry seemed like a natural progression to me. I've always worked for the best companies in their class and certainly that is the case with Masterfix." Jonathan added:  "It's great to be

With a range of pressures squeezing margins, residential estate and block managers need to generate additional revenue streams. Building on the fact that customers are demanding higher levels of service, providing additional resident services would seem the obvious solution.   In this webinar, find out how block managers are using modern systems to both improve levels of service and branch out to generate revenue by providing value-added services to residents. Webinar | 10:00am - 10:45am | 28 June 2017