Sheffield tower block resident worried vulnerable people are at risk

Sheffield Council has previously issued window safety advice to high-rise block residents and will now set up a high-rise forum for tenants following the warnings from former councillor and Sheffield tower block tenant Peter MacLoughlin.

He fears that vulnerable people suffering from serious mental health issues and isolation are being housed at height without sufficient safety measures on the windows.

The former council cabinet member for housing has urged the local authority to put policies in place to consider such risks when deciding whether to house tenants in high-rise blocks and to make sure there are enough support systems in place.

Mr MacLoughlin has made several freedom of information requests on the issues that he is concerned about.

He asked: “Does Sheffield’s housing department have a high-rise suicide prevention policy?”

Prevention

The response was ‘no’.

Mr MacLoughlin asked further questions and was told Sheffield City Council was going to consider a high-rise suicide prevention policy with the soon-to-be-established high-rise forum.

He also asked: “Does Sheffield’s city council housing department have a policy in preventing the housing of highly vulnerable individuals within questionable or unsuitable high-rise residential buildings?”

The council responded: “Yes, the council’s allocation policy ensures that accommodation offered is suitable to the needs of its applicants. However, this does rely on all appropriate information being made available at the point of an offer of accommodation being made.”

He also asked: “Does Sheffield’s city council housing department have a policy of rehousing existing tenants or residents that become vulnerable during the tenancy living within a high-rise residential building?”

The response: “Sheffield City Council will, as soon as it becomes aware of a person’s vulnerabilities, offer suitable alternative accommodation, and again this is covered within the allocations policy.

Vulnerable

“However, not all tenants are visited each year, and the council has limited powers to force a move for a vulnerable resident against their expressed wishes.”

Mr MacLoughlin, who has lived in his high-rise council home for 35 years with his partner, said: “We like it – we’re on the 14th floor.

“There is nothing wrong with tower block living if you don’t have sick building syndrome, nothing wrong if you’re just a single person or a couple without children. I produced a report about children not being happy in tower blocks.

“Now every person (coming in) is vulnerable, including refugees and asylum seekers.”

He added: “With the crisis going on, social housing is ever more so being used as a clearing bank, sometimes now for the most highly vulnerable. We have got no properties of appropriate accommodation to house some of these people.”

He stressed: “I love living in a tower block, it isn’t me wanting to get out, otherwise I’d have got out. There’s nothing wrong with them if they are managed properly.”

Strategy

He called on the council to set up a tower block strategy and a steering group for tenants, both in social housing and the private sector.

Housing committee chair Coun Douglas Johnson said the council takes the safety of all its tenants extremely seriously and has issued safety reminders to those who live in the high-rise blocks.

“We will soon establish a high-rise forum to respond to all aspects of building and fire safety as part of our new tenant and leaseholder engagement strategy, which the committee was asked to approve on Friday (January 26).”

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