Fire safety plan for flats gutted by blaze

Fire safety improvements are planned for a block of flats in York where a large blaze broke out in 2005, leaving residents homeless.

Plans lodged by Taylor Wimpey would see work carried out at Heslington House, also known as Fulford Place, on the corner of Fulford Road and Hospital Fields Road.

The developer said the works followed a survey which found some components in the building did not currently meet fire safety requirements.

It comes after two fires at the building - the largest in 2005 and another which damaged a flat in 2007.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a burning rag on the building's roof was believed to have sparked the fire in May 2005.

More than 80 firefighters battled the blaze which is said to be one of the biggest in York in recent years.

About 60 people were left homeless as a result and although nobody was injured, one firefighter had to be taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

A North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service investigation later found there had been problems with the way the flats were constructed which appeared to fall foul of building regulations.

Investigators said some of the compartmental walls which joined the roof were not properly sealed, leaving them unable to stop flames from spreading.

They also ruled the burning rag which sparked the fire should not have been able to spread through the roof and into two separate blocks of the building.

The findings prompted calls from City of York Council to strengthen national building regulations.

Developer Taylor Woodrow, which built the flats, said they had been constructed with materials approved by the Building Council and they had not been informed of any regulatory breaches as a result.

Firefighters were dispatched to the flats again in April 2007 after a fire began in a resident's kitchen.

A candle was found to have been left on top of a microwave which ignited nearby papers, with the fire spreading as a result.

It was put out after about 45 minutes and parts of the flat, along with a communal lobby area, were damaged.

Plans lodged with the council this August stated the proposed works were required to improve the fire safety performance of external walls and associated building elements.

Works are set to include the removal of existing high-pressure laminate cladding systems, timber support battens and combustible membranes, and other components.

Other combustible materials are set to be removed and replaced and firestopping measures installed.

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