Stephen Metcalfe, local Member of Parliament for Pitsea,
recently met with Council Officers for a walk about the Felmores estate to
discuss the progress of the cladding programme and to visit the site of the
most recent fire.
Stephen was told how all Council properties are being
upgraded with new cladding that will improve insulation and also increase
safety in the event of a fire. He welcomed the programme but has also
been in discussions with the Council to try to make the cladding more
affordable for non Council tenants.
Stephen said “I would of course like the cladding work to
be undertaken without cost to any of the residents, but the Council have stated
that at present that is not practicable. The cladding makes a real difference
to both the look and feel of homes on the Felmores estate and I would like it
to be available to as many people as possible. Unfortunately, at the moment,
upgrade work is very expensive for home owners. I have therefore asked
the Council to look again at the issue and to see if there is anything more
that they can do which would encourage increased uptake.”
Stephen also visited the site of the blaze in Winstree
last Wednesday which has completely destroyed the interior of the property but,
thanks to the cladding, the outside and neighbouring properties remained almost
completely unscathed.
Stephen said: “We can never protect completely against
home fires - if someone starts a fire inside or outside a home it will, like
any other property, burn. But I am very pleased the new cladding did its
job and stopped the fire spreading to neighbouring properties. As I have said
many times, the homes in Felmores do not self ignite and are fundamentally
safe. This has been confirmed by both the fire service and independent
assessors.”
"I am very pleased that Basildon Council is taking action
to minimize the risk of fire spreading and I hope that the Council will
continue to look for ways to improve matters for the residents of Felmores”.
