Leicester announces council block sprinkler retrofit

Leicester City Council has announced that a planned programme of work to retrofit sprinkler systems to five city council tower blocks will get underway in November.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the council took the decision to fit sprinkler systems to its residential tower blocks, with Maxfield House, an 18-storey block on the St Peter’s estate in Highfields, set to be the first to see a sprinkler system fitted, at a cost of £450,000.

The new sprinkler system will be retrofitted as part of a major £2 milllion refurbishment project that is current being carried out. Funding to retrofit sprinkler systems at four other residential tower blocks – Gordon House, Clipstone House and Framland House on the St Peter’s estate, and St Leonard’s Court in Clarendon Park – is expected to be approved for the 2019/20 capital programme.

Andy Connelly, deputy city mayor for housing, said: “The work at Maxfield House is the latest phase of our ambitious tower block refurbishment programme. It also marks the start of our commitment to retrofit sprinkler systems to all of our residential tower blocks. It’s not an easy or cheap thing to do, but the priority here is the safety of our tenants.”