The proposed tower block in 100 Avenue Road

• DESPITE Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn’s mandate for second staircases in residential blocks above 30metres (nine storeys) “with immediate effect”, in line with new building and fire safety requirements, Essential Living plans to resume construction this summer of their monstrous 24-storey, 81-metre skyscraper at 100 Avenue Road, with its historic permission for a single staircase.

In response to public demands for compliance with the new regulations, Camden Council absolves itself of any responsibility because Essential Living’s planning application was determined “using the policies and procedures in place at the time [which] predated Camden’s involvement in fire safety [and] is a matter… to be supervised by a private ‘Approved Inspector’”. – February 13 2023.

While Camden keeps its head in the sand, Wates Residential and Havering Council are halting work to replace 270 homes with 10 three- to 16-storey blocks, and work is paused on the Conran & Partners’ 1,380-home estate regeneration in Romford because of ongoing uncertainty over building safety standards and the second staircase rule in tower blocks – Building Design.

In light of the £500k fire-death fine just imposed on Camden by a district judge who said Camden had “publicly failed” when a resident was trapped and died in her flat in a fatal blaze in Daleham Gardens – and Camden’s recent £19million settlement over the Chalcots estate fire safety fiasco – an overall cost estimated to be more like £130million – can Camden Council, in all conscience, continue to do nothing?

Camden can only hope that this “Approved Inspector” will either force Essential Living to make safe their potentially hazardous build or else agree to take on the financial burden of paying future penalties should a disaster befall 100 Avenue Road’s 24-storey tower that provides only one escape route for its residents.

EDIE RAFF & JANINE SACHS
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