Sheffield housing campaigner says ‘stop making excuses’ on child safety in tower blocks

A Sheffield housing campaigner has told the city council to “stop making excuses” about safety issues concerning children living in high-rise flats.

Long-time council high-rise tenant Peter MacLoughlin spoke out at Sheffield City Council’s housing policy committee yesterday (March 19).

Housing campaigner Peter MacLoughlin showing a copy of his 1993 report Up in Arms at a meeting of Sheffield City Council's housing policy committee.

placeholder image — Housing campaigner Peter MacLoughlin showing a copy of his 1993 report Up in Arms at a meeting of Sheffield City Council's housing policy committee.

A former councillor who served as council cabinet member for housing, Mr MacLoughlin raised issues of children’s safety in tower blocks. He referred to a 1993 report, Up in Arms, that he co-authored in 1993 on high-rise flats safety issues.

He said the report gave 19 recommendations and only windows have been replaced and balconies cladded in since then.

“The numbers of children being housed in tower blocks is now worse because of the problems that we have in [housing] stock in general.

“That should be no excuse at all to you as policy-makers to address the issue in the interests of young children who are victims of a policy that quite honestly is totally unacceptable.

“We have a situation also that children are now being brought up next door to some of the most vulnerable people in society. The mix is not healthy, I’m sure you would recognise that.

Vulnerable

“We have a collection of various vulnerable people, be it mental health, drug rehabilitation, ex-offenders – you name it, we’ve got it. They’re all next to high clusters of children in tower blocks.

“We have an endemic problem of drug-related issues in Netherthorpe and Upperthorpe tower blocks, which I’m sure you’ll have seen in the press of late.

“I’m asking you as policy-makers to stop making excuses and look seriously at what practical steps you can do to make the lives of young children in our tower blocks safer and more user-friendly and if necessary come up with a realistic policy of housing children no higher than two floors.”

He showed a photograph from the 1993 report of a young child with her mother who lived in the same block as him in Netherthorpe. He said that after they moved on, 17 families with young children have been housed on the 14th floor.

Mr MacLoughlin asked: “How deliberate is that? It’s totally unacceptable and I hope you as policy-makers will seriously do something now and stop pushing this down the road.”

Swamped

He said that Netherthorpe and Upperthorpe have been “swamped” with vulnerable people, asking why they can’t be dispersed in the city’s leafy suburbs.

Committee chair Coun Douglas Johnson responded: “The issues that you describe are really relevant to a lot of the management of the housing stock.

“You’ve sensed that we’re in a situation that we simply haven’t had before with the pressure on housing stock.

“As you know, this committee recently approved a new version of the allocations policy and you’re aware of the issue in previous years where we’ve discussed the situation of children living at height.”

Coun Johnson said there is work in progress on window safety.

He added: “I don’t think any of us would agree that it’s alright for children to have a sub-standard start in life where they are living in situations that can be frightening or dangerous.”

Measures

Coun Johnson said there are more and more children living at height in private sector housing blocks as well.

Mr McLoughlin submitted several questions before the meeting and received written answers.

He asked what physical measures such as modified balcony screening, window restrictors or secure communal play areas have been installed in tower blocks over the past 33 years to protect children. Coun Johnson replied: “A range of physical measures have been implemented across several tower blocks over the past 33 years to protect children and vulnerable adults.

“These include the enclosure of balconies as part of external envelope improvement works, alongside a window replacement programme to each of the 20 high-rise blocks which were all refurbished during a period spanning from 1993 and 2011.

“The remaining four blocks (three blocks at Stannington refurbished during 2023/24/25 and one block at Hanover refurbished/reclad during 2018). As part of the window upgrades, restrictors were installed.

“A review of the suitability and condition of window restrictors is currently underway to ensure they remain fit for purpose and compliant with building safety and regulatory requirements.”

Falls

Mr McLoughlin asked: “How have child safety risks, including issues like falls, been integrated into risk assessments and maintenance schedules for tower blocks?” The response: “Overall risk assessments are carried out across SCC properties to identify risk. This includes activities and behaviours specific to children ( play areas etc).

“Maintenance schedules manage and reduce risk as an ongoing exercise and examples of this are the checking of handrail heights, surveying for window restrictors etc. Additionally, any specific reports of risk are investigated and addressed in line with policy.”

Question: “What measures are in place to ensure that safety concerns regarding children in tower blocks are tracked and addressed proactively, rather than reactively?” Response: “All risk is assessed by building and environment and this is all addressed in the same way, be it adult or child-specific.

Risk

“In terms of child-specific risk in tower blocks there is always a consideration of situation and risk and this is captured in the building risk assessments and managed proactively wherever possible.”

Question: “What actions came out from discussions from the Children and Young People Scrutiny and Policy Development Board on July 15, 2009, and Successful Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Policy Development Board on September 10th, 2009?” Response: “Copies of the minutes of these meetings can be provided. They show that the board felt (at that time) that allowing families with young children to live at height was an exercise of personal choice and was practically unenforceable.

“However, the matter was to be considered in the review of the lettings policy. A new lettings policy was adopted in January 2026.”

Question: “What action has the council considered after calls for local authorities and professionals working with young children have been urged to review safety measures after a 2025 study found that 13 children have died from falls from high-rise windows in the last six years?”

Answer: “The Housing Service commissioned reports in relation to the suitability and condition of window restrictors on high-rise blocks. These are currently being assessed.”