Agenda item

To consider item 12

The Head of Protection, Assurance and Development advised Members that the Community Risk Management Plan 2025-30 (CRMP) would shape future considerations relating to service provision. However, in recognition of changing legislation, new guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the findings from the Service’s inspection report, it was appropriate and prudent to review and realign the Protection Strategy with immediate effect. This proposed Protection Strategy was for a shorter period than usual, noting a requirement to align future strategy with the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP).

This revised strategy was designed to ensure the Service were giving due consideration to legislative requirements and that the activities in respect of protection were considered and targeted to manage those premises considered to be highest risk and/or low compliance. The introduction of a risk-based interventions programme would provide clarity on how the Service would prioritise resource against planned and demand led activity.

A Member asked for reassurance that the Service was moving fast enough with this, as it was one of the key areas in the HMICFRS inspection report. Does the Service have enough legal support and other support to allow pressure to be put on developers to make improvements happen, as per the regulations following Grenfell.

The Head of Protection, Assurance and Development advised Members that the strategy was designed to set the principals, of how the Service operates in fire protection. In terms of capability, the HMICFRS Inspection report acknowledged that the Service did have well trained people, and the right number of people, but needed to target their activity.

With regard to some of the more difficult buildings, the creation of the building safety regulations and the Building Safety Act, would tackle some of those more challenging buildings going forward.

A Member asked about the most vulnerable people living in social housing, whether the Authority worked with its partners within Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire to identify those properties and share the information.

The Head of Protection, Assurance and Development advised Members that the Service worked very closely with its partners, and partnership boards within Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Some of the challenges come under both Prevention and Protection. Prevention would pick up those that lived in private dwellings, and the protection side would be looking at legislative requirements around the building.

The Chairman advised Members that the HMICFRS report does refer to the team as being well resourced and well trained, but they did look at a decrease in confidence to take prosecution activity; and asked where the team were now with regard to increasing that confidence.

The Head of Protection, Assurance and Development advised that actual enforcement numbers compared to audit numbers were quite healthy and non-satisfactory outcomes, were quite positive. Staff did have the confidence to take enforcement measures, but when it came to the prosecution side, where specific knowledge was needed, the outcome of the recommendation and Action Plan was that some bespoke training was needed so everything was covered.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised that the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) were in the process of setting up a central enforcement prosecution team to assist with complex buildings, as it was such a bespoke area, and a lot of Services were in the same situation.

The Chairman asked that on the Equality Impact Assessment, question 7 referred to an ongoing issue relating to evacuation of those with disabilities from high rise residential buildings that had still not been fully resolved and what the issue was.

The Head of Protection, Assurance and Development advised Members that the responsibility sat with the Responsible Person of the building, being able to evacuate vulnerable people from the building, but in a lot of cases, they would not have the provision to do it.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised Members there had been two consultations an initial consultation following Grenfell with a recommendation around evacuation plans, however the government chose not to legislate to mandate that Responsible Persons should have Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP) in place.

RESOLVED –

That the Protection Strategy be approved by the Authority.