Tenants to be rehomed after 'life-changing' fire

Fox House tenants Isabel Lubeiro and son Alex Langley-Lubeiro fear they have lost everything

Families left homeless by a "life-changing" fire in a block of council flats in Battersea, south London, are to be permanently rehomed, Wandsworth Council has said.

More than 100 firefighters tackled a fire at Fox House, on Maysoule Road, as flames ripped through the fourth floor and roof on the evening on 10 September.

Parts of the building were destroyed and about 150 residents have since been living in hotels.

The local council, which owns the block, says it has now offered permanent council homes to almost all of those who were living in the block under a secure lifetime tenancy and it was supporting the other affected residents with rehousing.

About 150 residents had to leave their homes and wait for help after the fire began

Some residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) soon afterwards the fire they feared they all their possessions had been destroyed.

Isabel Lubeiro, 59, who had lived in the block for 26 years, said: "The smoke destroyed everything. We've probably lost everything."

Following the fire, Wandsworth Council supported residents by providing emergency accommodation and vouchers.

Labour councillor Sarah Davies told a recent council housing committee meeting: "I just feel so very, very sorry for the residents involved and I know that this is life-changing for them."

She said she had seen "the very best of the council coming together to give them all the very personalised care and attention that they needed".

Dave Worth, the council's director of housing services, said the council had offered permanent alternative council homes to roughly 27 of the 29 households who were living in the block under a secure lifetime tenancy, and it was supporting the other residents with rehousing.

The roof of Fox House was destroyed by flames, making the building unsafe

Mr Worth expressed his "pride and gratitude in all of the staff who turned out on the night and who have turned out since".

"It has been a really good example of the council working across departments together," he added.

The committee heard the council was also trying to organise access to the building for tenants to retrieve belongings, but the unsafe conditions had made this difficult.

Another Labour councillor, Kate Stock, said residents were concerned about why the fire had spread so quickly, the authority's previous assessment of this risk and what action might be needed as there are other council blocks of a similar design on the road.

Mr Worth said London Fire Brigade's investigation had been delayed by the building's unsafe condition but that its findings would help inform any action taken.