More than 180 high-rise South Yorkshire flats already inspected by fire and rescue service

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) believe that 108 buildings in South Yorkshire needed to be inspected , but South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue believe that the true number is 309 buildings.

A report from SYFRS identified 201 extra high rise buildings which need to be inspected – more than the 108 earmarked by the MHCLG.

Tony Carlin, sssistant chief fire officer of SYFRS told a fire and rescue authority meeting on Monday (April 26): “We’ve currently carried out 188 of these inspections, which is great to report. We’ve also completed way over the numbers provided by MHCLG and we’re well on path to complete the 300 plus that we need and want to complete by December the 21st.”

“We are also working with the responsible person or leaseholder in relation to the external wall system, which is where a lot of the issues and interest comes from,” he added.

SYFRS also held two meetings with tenants to reassure them after “issues” were found in their buildings.

Sheffield councillor Peter Price said that developers choosing a national fire inspector to determine the safety of buildings such as the Wicker Riverside Development was “very worrying”.

“The developers can pick and choose who they like to fall in line with what they want then to say, and I find the whole thing very worrying.”

Residents in The North Bank building on the Wicker Riverside were first evacuated in December 2020, after the block of flats failed a number of fire safety tests.

Tony Carlin told the meeting that here “is little we can do”, although he reassured the meeting that the building inspectors are registered.