Grenfell Tower inquiry triggers question into Middlesbrough Council’s readiness for major fire

Middlesbrough Council Town Hall
-Credit: (Image: Teesside Live)


A councillor has queried Middlesbrough Council’s preparedness in the event that an incident similar to the Grenfell Tower fire was to happen in the town.

Labour's Councillor Luke Henman riased the concern following the publication of the second phase of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, during Members’ Question Time at the full council meeting on September 11.

Councillor Henman directed his question at Councillor Janet Thompson, Labour’s Executive Member for Community Safety. He said: “Last week, the second phase of the report into the Grenfell Tower disaster was published. The report covered the circumstances that led to the fire which took the lives of 72 people in 2017.”

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The Acklam councillor then cited the report, quoting criticism of the local London authority as “muddled, slow, indecisive and piecemeal”. He continued to quote from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry that the London council’s systems “were wholly inadequate to the task of handling an incident…involving…. mass homelessness and mass fatalities.”

In his own words, Councillor Henman said “No arrangements were in place to deal with the displacement of large numbers of people and cultural and religious needs were not respected.

“Have our officers digested the findings of this report and reviewed our own procedures? How confident are we in our own preparedness if, heaven forbid, an incident of a similar seriousness were to happen locally?”

Councillor Thompson responded: “The tragedy that occurred at Grenfell Tower was an horrendous event. I know that the whole of the council will share my condolence and support for the families and communities who are affected by those tragic events”

The Executive Member for Community Safety went on to outline the provisions in place to provide assurance that the council was prepared for such an event. She explained that Middlesbrough is part of the Cleveland Local Resilience Partnership, and works with the Cleveland Emergency Planning Unit.

The unit's website describes the primary aims of emergency planning as follows: “To provide a comprehensive and effective resilience and emergency planning service to the four local authorities” (alongside Middlesbrough, the three other councils are Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton ).

Other aims include achieving “an effective response to all major incidents and emergency situations regardless of their cause”. In addition, ensuring that the “emergency response plans are produced, reviewed, tested and exercised”, and finally, making sure that “the local authorities meet their statutory obligations and duties under primary legislation”.

Councillor Thompson continued “A significant part of this body’s activity is to work with local authorities and partner agencies to be prepared for major incidents and their aftermath.

“Clearly, we hope that such an event never occurs in Middlesbrough or the surrounding areas. However, if it does, we have an approach and a plan in place with partners to react to it.”

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