A Surrey-based housing association has been ordered to pay £120,636 after serious fire safety failures contributed to the death of a resident in a house fire back in January 2022.
The sentencing took place at Staines Magistrates’ Court after the organisation pleaded guilty to breaching the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The charges were brought by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service following an investigation into the fire at an independent living scheme in Godalming.
During the incident, a tenant who used a wheelchair was unable to escape the communal corridor and was overcome by heat and smoke. Fire crews rescued several other residents, some of whom required hospital treatment for smoke inhalation.
The court heard that the housing provider had failed to take critical fire safety measures that could have made a life-saving difference. These included not fitting a self-closing device on a flat entrance door, not configuring the building’s stay-put fire policy system appropriately, and ignoring fire safety recommendations dating back several years.
In court, the judge acknowledged that the fine was lower than might otherwise have been expected because of the positive impact the association has in the community, including support for housing and domestic abuse services.
Lee Spencer-Smith, Area Commander at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, said the sentencing was about accountability and upholding public safety. He stressed that those responsible for managing buildings have a duty of care, particularly to vulnerable residents, and that failures in fire safety management can have devastating consequences.
James Taylor, Technical Fire Manager at Legionella and Fire Safe Services said ” This case underlines how critical it is for landlords and housing providers to prioritise fire safety, maintain up-to-date risk management systems, and act promptly on recommendations. Residents’ safety must always be the guiding principle in building management and compliance”.
