Report of the Assistant Director Safer Communities

The Panel considered a report from the Assistant Director Safer Communities (ADSC) which recommend a widening of the scope of the Joint Funded Sprinkler Project to a Community Safety Intervention Fund.

The ADSC introduced the report, reminding the Panel that in 2013, the Fire Authority agreed to set aside funding to support a sprinkler project to assist key partners to retrofit sprinklers in their high-risk premises through a joint funding contribution.  The original fund amounted to a total of £750,000 over a period of four years of allocation.  Although the project had seen some success, due to a number of challenges, £638,000 of the fund was unspent.  This included £340,000 which until recently had been allocated to two high rise buildings in the Brighton and Hove area.  Given the large amount of unallocated funding, the Panel was being asked to consider approving a proposal to expand the scope of fund to allow spend on other measures with the aim to reduce fire risk for vulnerable residents and those in high risk premises.

The Panel asked for further details on the measures that funds would be spent on and queried whether it would be more beneficial for any unspent money to be used to help ease any budgetary pressure.  The ADSC explained that resident engagement with proposals to fit sprinklers had been very challenging and whilst sprinklers would still form part of the offer, widening the of the fund to include alternative, cheaper solutions would mean that many more residents would be helped than was currently possible.  Measures could include evacuation alert systems and premises information boxes.  If approved, more detailed spend criteria and the priorities of the Community Safety Intervention Fund would be developed.  With regard to the use of the unallocated funds for budget savings, the ADR/T explained that the fund was established to be community facing and the proposal reflected this fact, however, the Fire Authority could consider whether part of the uncommitted funding should be used to address identified budget pressures as part of the budget setting process for 2022/23.

Members asked for further details regarding the projects in Brighton & Hove which were not being progressed.  The ADSC explained there had been significant delays due to Covid and she had recently been informed by officers at BHCC that their priorities had now changed in terms of where sprinklers would be installed and therefore the projects at Essex Place and St James House would not be progressed at this time.

The Panel welcomed the expansion of the fund especially given concerns over the role and scale of responsibility of the Responsible Person in relation to the forthcoming Building Safety Bill.  Members agreed the recommendations with Councillor Powell choosing to abstain from the vote.  The Panel asked that a follow up report be made to a future Panel meeting to give further detail on the specific spend and benefit of the fund.

RESOLVED: That the Panel agrees to widen the scope of the Joint Funded Sprinkler Project to a Community Safety Intervention Fund.