Hackney Council is set to pay consultants over £15 million to determine the extent of fire hazards in buildings across its housing estates. On Monday, April 20, the council awarded two contracts worth £7.8 million each to Frankham Risk Management and Airey Miller Ltd to conduct a substantial fire safety review of high-rise and mid-rise blocks throughout the borough.
The consultancy fees, spread over four years, will be entirely funded by government grants under the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS). An £11 million deal was initially agreed in July 2025, but the council has now approved an additional £4.4 million to expedite procurement and meet the government's strict timeline to secure grant funding for necessary fire safety works by 2029.
Background and Regulations
Changes to building safety regulations have required local authorities to perform new fire safety inspections on buildings, particularly those built or refurbished with potentially combustible materials in their cladding, insulation, balconies, brickwork, and other areas. Following the 2017 Grenfell tragedy, which killed 72 people, Hackney Council reported that none of its buildings contained the same flammable Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) used in Grenfell Tower. However, the council has removed cladding from high-rise buildings across four estates to comply with updated fire safety standards.
Previous Safety Concerns
In 2019, the council evacuated 41 families from a block in Hoxton after identifying incorrect insulation that did not meet safety requirements. The council stated it would take legal action against Willmott Dixon's housing arm regarding the failures. In 2021, residents of Morris Blitz House in Hackney learned their building did not meet adequate safety standards after a mortgage lender's survey found aluminium cladding and gas cupboards with cavity walls made of chipboard, apparently insulated with polystyrene.
Door Replacement and Other Measures
After the Grenfell fire, the council pledged to install 17,000 new doors across its housing portfolio capable of withstanding fire for 30 minutes. However, this target was reduced following the new Building Safety Regulations in 2022, which required door replacements only for high-rise blocks of seven storeys or higher. The council now plans to replace approximately 7,500 doors by 2028 to meet fire safety regulations. Since May 2018, the council has also installed dry risers—pipe systems to support firefighters—outside more than 300 buildings.
The council's efforts aim to enhance fire safety across its housing stock, addressing risks identified after the Grenfell disaster and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.
