Southwark Council has hit back at claims that ongoing fire safety upgrades to its housing stock have gone
£10 million over budget.

It follows a report in the Southwark News that said the council had exceeded its £19 million budget for building works – an extensive programme set up following the 2009 Lakanal House fire.

The council, which has responsibility for more than 54,000 properties including 182 blocks of seven storeys or more, is the capital’s largest local authority landlord.

A total of £19 million was set aside for building works following fire risk assessments borough-wide, but now costs are set to run to £29 million.

The council, however, says it has not exceeded budget – but merely allocated more money to make sure its housing stock is safe.

“We will pay whatever it takes to make our buildings safe,” a spokesman from Southwark Council told info4fire. “There is no budget.”

The revised figure will include costs for the procurement and tender of major works, the spokesman said, and will take into account works on new housing stock as well as existing.

Around £4 million of the original allocation has already been spent.

Speaking about risk management in blocks awaiting works, the council said: “Southwark’s borough commander for London Fire Brigade and the director of housing at Southwark Council meet quarterly to review progress. The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority are satisfied with the council’s target to reduce these blocks to a tolerable risk by 31 March 2012.

“At all blocks the risk has been mitigated by works, which have been completed. Where not already completed, major works packages designed to address the issues are in varying stages of procurement.”