Mayor urged to halt flats over fire safety fears

The Fire Brigades Union said it was "shocking" the affected block in the new development would not get a second staircase

The mayor of London and Bromley Council have been urged to halt plans for what the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has described as an "unsafe" block of flats in south-east London.

In a letter to Sir Sadiq Khan, the FBU said the planned 16-storey block at the old Blenheim shopping centre, Penge, risked a "fire safety disaster" as it would have only a single staircase as an escape route.

Developer Hadley Clarion said the scheme complied "fully with the latest building regulations and fire safety standards" after it recently reduced the height of the planned tower, and was subsequently granted planning permission by Bromley Council.

City Hall said the mayor was satisfied the plans were "compliant".

In an open letter signed by fire safety campaigners, the FBU general secretary Steve Wright calls on the Greater London Authority (GLS) to stop the project until plans meet the "highest standards of building safety".

Mr Wright accused developers of attempting to "circumvent" planning rules by adjusting the height of the building to just 30cm (12in) the height limit permitted for blocks with single staircases.

"This is an attempt to cut corners and get around the building safety regulations introduced to avoid a repeat of the Grenfell Tower tragedy," Mr Wight said.

"If the development goes ahead in its current form, residents of this property will only have one staircase which they can use to evacuate. This could cost lives."

A spokesperson for Hadley Clarion said the building was re-designed twice to comply with "evolving legislation".

The planned development will see 230 homes built in five blocks blocks on the Blenheim shopping centre

The Blenheim Square development will see the current shopping centre demolished and the construction of 230 homes, including 73 affordable homes, as well as commercial space.

Since the plans were were first proposed in 2022, the law was changed requiring any new residential building in England more than 18m (59ft) to have two staircases installed as fire escape routes - part of a government response to the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire.

Plans for one of the blocks initially designed to six storeys high, 18.74m (about 61ft), with a single staircase were then revised down to a height of 17.7m.

Despite the London Fire Brigade's continued concerns about fire safety, Bromley Council approved the development in March 2024.

The mayor of London has the power to intervene in local authority planning decisions, but his office said the application was found to be "compliant with London Plan policies on fire safety" and that the mayor was "content" for Bromley Council to rule on the plans.

A City Hall spokesperson added: "We aware of the FBU's concerns and hope FBU and Bromley can meet and find a solution that all parties are happy with."

The Hadley Clarion spokesperson added: "At a time when London faces its worst housing crisis in generations, with record numbers across London - including in Bromley - living in temporary accommodation, town centre regeneration projects like Blenheim Square are exactly what the capital needs."