Resident’s anger over Dagenham fire as building safety concerns known years.

“We have been told that it will take at least two more years until the building is remedied and signed off as safe“-Residents were told.

Those living on Freshwater Road in Dagenham have had long standing safety concerns over their building for several years. Yesterday’s (Monday 26 August) early morning fire saw 80 residents evacuated as the fire broke out on the top floor of the building.

Many families found themselves at the Leisure Centre Monday morning after rushing from their home with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Yet safety concerns over that block of flats had been known after the building had non compliant cladding.

A document seen by the Havering Daily clearly showed the Residents Association of that building had raised serious concerns, it also reveals residents worries in living in a block with non compliant cladding and the wait they had to have the cladding removed.

It states: “We have been told that it will take at least two more years until the building is remedied and signed off as safe. The stress on leaseholders living in unsafe, unsellable flats with increasing service charges for well over a year is considerable.

Leaseholders continue to be faced with all the responsibilities and none of the rights.”

Fortunately no one was injured in yesterday’s fire and everyone was able to leave or be rescued by the London Fire Brigade. However, calls we were once again put out over the danger cladding buildings are to residents and just why this cladding was not removed as of yet.

One resident who found herself at the leisure centre, yesterday told the Havering Daily: “I woke up to the smell of smoke, no fire alarm had gone off and we knew there was a fire. We literally rushed out of our flat with nothing but our clothes.”

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