Open letter to the Prime Minister
Dear Prime Minister,
We are united by our resolve that a tragedy like Grenfell Tower must never happen again. Ten months on, we are deeply concerned that so little has been done to prevent another fire.
High-rise and high-risk buildings such as schools, hospitals, care homes, sheltered housing and residential blocks must be our immediate priority. To protect public safety in these types of buildings, we ask the government to implement the following changes urgently:
- That only non-combustible cladding and insulation be installed;
- That they be fitted with automatic fire sprinklers; and,
- That all new buildings of these types have alternative escape routes
The official inquiries and investigations will run their course, but we must not wait. We believe these common-sense measures will help protect people’s lives and the buildings in which they live, work, learn, and recover. We urge you and your government to implement them immediately.
Yours sincerely,
George Clarke, Architect
Alan Brinson, Executive Director, European Fire Sprinkler Network
Jane Duncan, Chair, RIBA Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety and Past President of the RIBA (2015-2017)
Professor Richard Hull, Professor of Chemistry and Fire Science, University of Central Lancashire
Ronnie King OBE, Honorary Administrative Secretary and Principal Adviser to the All Party Parliamentary Fire Safety & Rescue Group and former Chief Fire Officer
Sarah Kostense-Winterton, Executive Director, Mineral Wool Insulation Manufacturers' Association
Keith MacGillivray MBE, Chief Executive, British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association
Professor Anne Power, LSE Housing and Communities, London School of Economics and Political Science
Professor Anna Stec, Professor in Fire Chemistry and Toxicity, University of Central Lancashire
Sam Webb, RIBA