DAGENHAM FIRE: Council Leader slams building owners’ response as ‘pitiful’.

‘No one will be kicked out of the hotel until they have somewhere to go’-Councillor Darren Rodwell.

The Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council has slammed the response of the owners of the housing block that was destroyed by fire on Freshwater Road on Monday, as ‘pitiful’.

In an interview with the Havering Daily, Councillor Rodwell said: “The response by the management block agency has been pitiful. I wish they understood the stress they are putting on residents living on this block.”

Councillor Rodwell and council officers have been working everyday since the fire took place, to ensure residents have access to everything they need during this awful time. However, Councillor Rodwell is angry at the poor response the housing owners have provided.

“We believe there are 1300 high rise buildings across London that need remediation. The local authority or London Fire Brigade do not have the powers to insist this work gets done. We have to rely on landlords to do the remediation.

“If you are the owners of a building that is not fit for purpose, then why are you asking residents to fund the costs?”

Councillor Rodwell has been working on London Housing for six years so is all to familiar with housing problems. He continued: “On Monday residents from the building were placed at the Leisure Centre. We had hoped that we would see a representative from the building owners arrive, they didn’t.

“On Tuesday a meeting was set up with many services such as housing agencies, welfare agencies, and we had asked for a representative to turn up. They didn’t.

“They need to listen to residents, they need to be talking to residents here who have lost everything in this awful fire.”

Darren has also stressed that no one will be moved out of the hotel until they have somewhere to go.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

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