Only one in eight high rise blocks pass fire safety checks in South Yorkshire

Just one in eight high rise blocks have passed fire safety checks in South Yorkshire after inspections carried out in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

It comes after the government ordered checks on all buildings over 18 metres to be carried out by the end of 2021 - a target which South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue met.

But just 28 blocks were deemed satisfactory, while 174 were issued with action plans.

Action plans can vary significantly from block to block, with many put in place due to something minor which will have been rectified quickly.

However, over 30 blocks in the city have applied to the government's Building Safety Fund to help fix issues related to cladding and fire safety.

Across the country, 2,821 buildings have applied in total, but just 137 buildings have started remediation work.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson caused controversy in November after he said that leaseholders affected by cladding and building safety issues are living with "unnecessary anxiety" because "many millions of homes are not unsafe".

It followed an ITV Calendar interview with the Prime Minister, in which he was asked about Sheffield resident Jenni Garratt, who faces cladding remediation bills of thousands of pounds.

The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has said new housing secretary Michael Gove was “looking afresh” at the issue to ensure “everything was being done to protect and support those affected”.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue will continue to work with building management and owners throughout 2022 to ensure work to rectify issues is carried out.