Are you putting your neighbours at risk?
Published 29 January 2010
For years, tenancy agreements and housing leases have told residents not to make changes to their homes without the council's permission.
Southwark Council has launched an awareness programme this week to spell out the dangers of adding metal security grilles to doors which could be the main escape route in a fire.
The London Fire Brigade told Southwark Council that metal grilles on doors can double the time it takes for fire-fighters to get into a property and can block emergency exits in the event of a fire.
If grilles block access to more than one property or restrict access to a fire escape, the council will ask residents to remove them and if they do not we will charge them for doing it ourselves. This will also apply where grilles are placed over high security doors. The fire brigade tell us that this is unacceptable and dangerous.
Our safety awareness campaign will warn residents of the risk of grilles to them, their families and to neighbours. We will also be letting them know the dangers of flytipping and blocking exits with bikes or refuse or carrying out alterations (such as removing walls or leaving holes in them) without permission.
Councillor Kim Humphreys, executive member for housing said, "It's important to keep the momentum up where fire safety is concerned and tenants have an important role to play.
"We will deal with the issue of security grilles on a case-by-case basis and it may seem like a nuisance to tenants, but the action has been taken with the serious objective of improving tenants' safety at home."
