Major fire risk at Admiralty Tower block in Portsmouth due to "unsuitable external wall construction"

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Admiralty Tower residents face fire risks due to “unsuitable external wall construction” following an enforcement notice.

In July, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) issued an enforcement notice to EPMG Limited, the company secretary for Admiralty Quarter (Portsmouth) Management Limited (AQPM), after a May inspection revealed non-compliance with fire safety regulations, leaving residents unsafe in the event of a fire.

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According to a HIWFRS spokesperson, the notice was issued due to the absence of a suitable fire risk assessment, insufficient compartmentation between the car park and residential areas, the lack of an adequate fire alarm system, and “the suitability of the external wall construction”.

Admiralty Tower in Queen Street, Portsmouth.Admiralty Tower in Queen Street, Portsmouth.
Admiralty Tower in Queen Street, Portsmouth. | Contributed

They added: “A fire risk appraisal of external walls report was completed for Admiralty Tower by qualified fire engineers at the request of AQPM Ltd. This report identified numerous elements of construction material in multiple locations that present varying degrees of risk and these are summarised in this report as an overall risk rating.

“The risk rating determined in this report requires remedial works to the external wall in addition to the interim measures already mentioned, to mitigate any immediate risk.” AQPM Ltd has been given until November 1 to address these issues in the interim. Although an extension has not yet been granted, the fire service indicated it “may offer an extension, following senior management consultation, if we feel suitable progress has been made”.

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The spokesperson explained that “the fire authority has issued appropriate enforcement actions that have compelled the responsible person to instigate short-term interim measures to mitigate any immediate risk”. The responsible person, as per National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) advice, has chosen to implement a ‘temporary simultaneous evacuation strategy’.

This strategy, they added, “is currently supported by a ‘waking watch’ that is set to be replaced by a temporary automatic fire detection and alarm system”. The spokesperson added: “Through current enforcement notices, we will continue to work with the responsible persons to ensure that the building defects are addressed within reasonable timescales.”

They assured that “our fire safety team has been working with our operational crews to ensure that should an incident occur, we are best prepared to respond accordingly, with revised operational firefighting tactics and increased weight of response to accommodate this temporary strategy whilst the remediation works are carried out”. “HIWFRS are working with [AQPM] to ensure the interim measures are maintained and that suitable and realistic schedules of work are progressed to achieve long-term safety,” they said.

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An AQPM Ltd spokesperson said: “Residents are well aware of the risks and the fact that we had to put a “waking watch” (fire patrols) in place to reduce the risks. We are procuring a new estate-wide fire alarm system later this year which will replace the waking watch. Our October quarterly newsletter provides up-to-date information on this subject. Also, a residents’ engagement strategy is currently being rolled out to enable all residents to be informed and involved in methods of fire prevention.”

They added they’ll aim to “restore the value of the flats which have been devalued by the numerous serious building defects for which Crest Nicholson are responsible”. They added: “This time we have a team of top-quality professional advisers to check that there is no corner-cutting, no shoddy workmanship, no use of inferior or unsuitable materials and no illicit short-cuts or cover-ups.”

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