In support of disabled people’s right to escape their flat in a fire, and in the fight for justice for those who died in Grenfell Tower, please help us hold the Government to account so that it takes fire safety seriously for everyone

- Claddag: Leaseholder Disability Action Group

The Leaseholder Disability Action Group, Claddag, are taking legal action against the government. They are taking legal action to hold the government to account for their failure to implement crucial recommendations to protect disabled residents and prioritise fire safety in residential buildings.

Forty one percent of the residents that died in the Grenfell Tower fire had disabilities. Many were housed on the higher floors and were unable to self-evacuate. This cannot be repeated.

Claddag are seeking permission for a Judicial Review and raising money towards their legal costs. They are close to reaching their target. Please show your support and donate or share this vital campaign

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Following phase one of the Grenfell Tower inquiry, the Prime Minister agreed to implement the inquiry’s recommendations. Two and a half years later, the government made a U-turn on the recommendation requiring Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for disabled residents in high-rise buildings.

They rejected recommendations which would prevent future deaths by ensuring that disabled residents have PEEPs in place in case of an emergency. Instead, the Government proposed Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing (EEIS).

The government’s proposal for EEIS is not inclusive. It focuses only on residents with impaired mobility but does not account for those affected by other physical or cognitive impairments.

EEIS puts the onus on Fire and Rescue Services to access the information and use the information to evacuate residents in the event of a fire. This also means that residents will be forced to stay put and wait to be rescued in an emergency where self-evacuation could be possible with a PEEP in place.

The proposal is also selective regarding which residential buildings are to be included – only those with ‘known’ serious fire safety issues and with a simultaneous evacuation strategy. This does not include buildings which currently have the ‘stay put’ strategy.

The Mayor of London’s recent response to the Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing consultation said:

Governments ongoing failure to implement this recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry is disappointing and concerning.

It continued, “Legislating for PEEPs in all buildings of any height covered by the Fire Safety Order and providing central funding is the only way to ensure comprehensive and consistent implementation across the entire country.”

As INQUEST have highlighted before, the Government’s rejection of this recommendation is a reckless decision. It follows inquiry evidence which showed that the failure to effectively identify residents with disabilities and the lack of PEEPs contributed to the loss of life in the fire.

INQUEST supports Claddag’s campaign and continue to campaign for a National Oversight Mechanism to ensure that life-saving recommendations, such as those made by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, will be implemented.

MORE INFORMATION

• Read Claddag’s Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing consultation: a handy summary
• Hear Claddag co-founder, Sarah Rennie, speaking about the importance of evacuation plans in BBC Sounds - Access All: Disability news and talk, Escape plan