Tag Archives: Evacuation

Fundraising successful and court date set

Three months ago we launched a crowdfund appeal to help us raise funds to protect ourselves against adverse costs should our legal challenge against the Government over its failure to implement key Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations be unsuccessful. Last month, the court approved our application to proceed with the challenge but set the limit forContinue reading “Fundraising successful and court date set“

Court grants Claddag permission to apply for judicial review

Good news! Last week, the High Court gave us permission to apply for judicial review. This means that the judge considered that we have an arguable case and she considered that it should be brought before the court swiftly. We hope that the hearing will take take place before the end of the year. TheContinue reading “Court grants Claddag permission to apply for judicial review”

Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing consultation: a handy summary

The Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing consultation closes on 21 August 2022*. It’s important that disabled, Deaf and older residents have their voices heard. You can respond to the consultation via the Home Office survey or just email your views to FireSafetyUnitconsultations@homeoffice.gov.uk.  We understand the documents are long, complicated and potentially upsetting to read, so we’veContinue reading “Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing consultation: a handy summary“

Inappropriateness of using Waking Watch for evacuation plans

We have heard several reports of waking watch (fire wardens) being put in place or retained for the supposed benefit of specific disabled residents’ or to guard against perceived leaseholder liability. This is troubling on many counts. The Government’s third, and most recent, consultation on disabled people and fire safety emphasises a degree of unreasonablenessContinue reading “Inappropriateness of using Waking Watch for evacuation plans”

Home Office workshops: Evacuation plans for disabled people and ‘information sharing’

The Government is hosting workshops as part of its Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing consultation. The consultation proposes scrapping the concept of mandatory evacuation plans for disabled people in blocks of flats, rejecting a key recommendation of the Grenfell Tower inquiry. The workshops are an opportunity for Home Office officials to explain the proposals and forContinue reading “Home Office workshops: Evacuation plans for disabled people and ‘information sharing’”

Shameful Government u-turn on evacuation plans for disabled people

We are horrified and deeply dismayed by Lord Greenhalgh’s announcement that the Government does not agree that disabled people should have a right to a personal emergency evacuation plan. This follows a 9-month wait since the Government’s second consultation on the matter. It now proposes to launch a third one. It is unconscionable that theContinue reading “Shameful Government u-turn on evacuation plans for disabled people”

Home Office’s delay and disregard for PEEPs: Write to your MP

This week, another peer expressed their concern about the Home Office’s handling on personal emergency evacuation plans for disabled people. Baroness Grey-Thompson and Baroness Brinton proposed a series of amendments to the Building Safety Bill that would have added to the bill explicit references to the need to protect disabled people living in high-rise blocksContinue reading “Home Office’s delay and disregard for PEEPs: Write to your MP”

Government reappoints the same company to write the ‘Means of Escape for Disabled People’ guidance: A statement from Claddag

Claddag are shocked and outraged to learn that the Home Office has commissioned C S Todd & Associates to re-write the Means of Escape for Disabled People, and the other suite of fire safety guidance documents. C S Todd & Associates authored the guidance document Fire Safety in Purpose-Built Flats, published by the Local GovernmentContinue reading “Government reappoints the same company to write the ‘Means of Escape for Disabled People’ guidance: A statement from Claddag”

Channel 4 News: Councils have no evacuation plans for disabled people

Channel 4 News reported today on the stories of two disabled people, Georgie and Joe, who are being refused evacuation plans in the event of a fire. This is despite the fact that over 40% of those that lost their lives in Grenfell Tower were disabled. In a Freedom of Information Act request, the reportContinue reading “Channel 4 News: Councils have no evacuation plans for disabled people”