Wicker Riverside: Sheffield apartment block reopens after fire safety works

A prohibition notice was originally served on Wicker Riverside back in December 2020

Residents who were forced to leave an apartment block amid fire safety fears have been allowed back after contractors made the building safe.

People in the top five floors of Wicker Riverside Apartments in Sheffield were told by the fire service on 17 January they had to leave immediately.

It said they were being moved out to allow remedial work to be carried out to address fire containment issues.

The prohibition notice has now been lifted allowing residents to return.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Andy Strelczenie said: "The remedial work completed is the minimum required to keep people safe and we will continue to engage with the responsible persons to ensure the remaining issues with the building are effectively resolved."

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service served a notice on the building last month, saying all residents would need to move out by the end of January if the remedial work was not carried out.

Issues with internal fire compartmentation - designed to stop a fire from spreading throughout a building - as well as inadequate smoke control arrangements and external cladding were brought to the attention of the fire service.

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Mr Strelczenie said: "Prohibiting the use of a building in this way is always a last resort and we are sorry for the disruption and distress this has caused to all those living there.

"Ultimately though, people's safety must come first.

"We are reassured by the efforts taken by the responsible persons to resolve matters within the building."

The fire service first served a prohibition notice on Wicker Riverside in 2020 after safety officials carried out inspections in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell fire, which killed 72 people.