Residents asked to leave flats due to fire risk

The fire service was at the building to provide advice and guidance

Residents in a luxury development in Lincoln have been advised to leave by the fire service due to "serious fire safety concerns".

A prohibition notice has been issued by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service for the entire building at One the Brayford on Brayford Wharf North. It said the risk was "so serious that use of the premises ought to be restricted".

A note on the front door explained the external walls were combustible and warning systems were inadequate, and advised residents to find alternative accommodation until the issues were addressed.

Managers of the building, RMG, said they were focusing on establishing what work needed completing to allow residents to return to their homes.

Construction on the £15m waterfront development project began in 2016.

Lincoln City Council said the prohibition notice affected 51 residents currently living in the building.

Residents of One the Brayford on Brayford Wharf North in Lincoln have been told to leave

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said there was evidence the external wall systems of the building were combustible and would allow a fire to spread rapidly on the external faces of the building and then spread internally.

The notice added there was insufficient "fire resisting separation and compartmentation" between bedrooms and the means of escape.

It added that there was also insufficient means of detecting a fire and giving adequate warning to the occupants, meaning they "would be likely to be overcome by the effects of heat and or smoke before they could make their escape".

The fire service was of the opinion the risk of injury was imminent and the prohibition order was to take effect immediately until the matters they had specified were remedied.

John moved into his two-bedroom flat in the building last July

John, who did not wish to give his surname, is a resident in the building.

He said he was visited by two firefighters who told him to leave the building on Friday evening.

"Obviously, I tried to remain calm, level headed. You have to sort your flat out, your bags, etc.

"But inside I was absolutely fuming."

He was unaware of any fire safety issue with the flat he moved into last July.

"Why has the issue suddenly turned up and why, when I moved in, was I not made aware of any issues?"

The council has arranged for John to stay in a hotel until Monday, but after that, he said he has been told he will have to find his own accommodation.

"I just feel really sorry for the families with little children that have been turfed out of the building."

The MP for Lincoln, Hamish Falconer, confirmed the council had stepped in to provide emergency accommodation for residents.

"I'm calling on the management agents, RMG, and everybody associated with the building to do everything that they can to make sure that Lincoln residents can get back into this building," he said.

RMG manage the building on behalf Landmark Investments, which owns the building and is the landlord.

The company said developers Jackson & Jackson Ltd and RCL Partners retained units in the building and had been involved in discussions with the fire service on the requirements needed to reopen the building, with further talks due to take place on Monday.

"The safety of the residents is our number one priority, and we will continue to support them through this difficult period," RMG said.

Residents have been told to prepare to be out of the building for at least seven days.

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