Ebbsfleet Valley resident raises fire safety concerns newbuild flat managed by Clarion Housing

One resident of a newbuild flat says he lives in a state of anxiety, after his fire safety concerns have not been addressed by the property managers.

"John", whose name has been changed to protect his identity, toured the housing block in Ebbsfleet Valley with his friend last year and raised some serious issues.

Serious concerns over fire safety have been raised

After several conversations with the housing team John bought the flat on a part-ownership basis after he got the impression the landlords would take the safety concerns he had raised seriously.

He said: "Seeing it now, those concerns raised back then have not been raised whatsoever. It is extremely frustrating that we are not being listened to. They are putting our lives at risk.

"Fires can start anywhere. They are not just juggling with documentation, they are juggling with people's lives."

The building is managed by Clarion Housing who say the building complies with all fire safety regulations.

A Clarion spokesperson said: "Our Aragon House building on Cherry Orchard Road was signed off by Building Control in relation to fire safety regulations when it completed in autumn 2021.

"A fire door was repaired last month following misuse and it being propped open by residents, but we have not received any other reports relating to fire safety at Aragon House.

"We are therefore not aware of any such issues, neither historical nor outstanding, in the building – which holds a current ESW1 certificate.

"We would urge residents to continue using the appropriate channels to report any concerns or defects with their homes and we will investigate them accordingly."

But John's friend Craig Young who is a fire safety manager claims pipes and wiring inside the walls have broken fire insulation seals, increasing the risk of fire spreading between flats.

He said: "The main concern I have is the fire stopping or compartmentalisation around the walls and ceilings where pipes or cables go through has been damaged by trades such as gas engineers or electricians.

"They have not either reported it or it has been reported by them and it has not been fixed.

"In the event of a fire he is not receiving the protection that he should have and also the block is not receiving the protection they should have."