"Oxford City Council carries out fire risk assessments (FRAs) for Pound House every three years as part of our ongoing programme of assessing fire risks. The last assessment took place on 25 June and was undertaken by a newly commissioned fire risk assessment company.
"This assessment indicated seven flights of stairs and concluded this meant there were seven storeys. Buildings over 18 metres or at least seven storeys tall must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator.
"In line with the Building Safety Act 2022, all our high-rise blocks falling within these criteria were registered in 2023.
"Pound House is 16.5 metres tall. Earlier FRAs that were carried out classified Pound House as a six-storey building with a mezzanine, which is not usually counted as a separate storey.
"In the light of the issue raised in the recent FRA, we sought an independent opinion from a fire engineer within an industry-recognised company.
"The fire engineer said: “The staircase landings are arguably not full storeys, and are intermediary levels containing small ancillary spaces, to access three floors of residential accommodation which sit on top of three floors of retail, thus more conventionally falling within the definition of a six-storey building.”
"The report suggested that while it is unlikely that Pound House is a high-rise, there are unusual features and therefore some ambiguity over the mezzanine floor. The fire engineer recommended we should ask the Building Safety Regulator to provide clarification.
"We have contacted the Building Safety Regulator to ask for urgent guidance and clarity over Pound House.
"The FRA did produce fire risk assessment actions and many of these were based on Pound House being an unregistered high-rise block. They would not necessarily be relevant for a building that didn’t need registration with the Building Safety Regulator.
"We are currently reviewing those actions with the fire engineer and will undertake any additional measures needed to ensure people remain safe in their homes.
"We will not compromise on fire safety. The security and wellbeing of our residents is paramount."
Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities
If you have any questions, comments or concerns on any of these issues, please contact our Building Safety Resident Engagement Officer, Amy Smith, on 07485 975203 or by emailing asmith@oxford.gov.uk
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