A MUM who lives on a street so narrow that fire engines struggle to fit down it has blasted it as a “death trap”.
Raine Collins, 28, fears the new apartment block in Lewisham, South London, could go up in flames – risking the lives of everyone inside if a truck can’t fit through.
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She says utility trucks struggle to get down the street, and a fire truck has already got stuck at the top.
Raine told MyLondon: “I call it a death trap.
“I’m concerned for the new neighbours moving into the block.
“My concern is that if there was a fire in the new flats the fire engine would find it difficult to get down here.
“Even cars and small vans struggle to get up the street, especially in the evening. I can see it ending up in deaths.
“We all know each other in the area and we’ve all expressed concerns about it.”
The London Fire Brigade sent a letter to the building inspector on August 8, 2021 listing 17 reasons it was “not satisfied” with the development.
They claimed the complex’s fire strategy is “difficult to follow” and the building’s plans don’t “clearly show… fire service vehicle access points.”.
Terry Edge – a fire safety campaigner – is disappointed that the fire safety requirements weren’t established prior to the build.
The Church Grove resident said: “It is common sense you don’t ignore 17 areas of fire safety then go ahead and build the building.
“You would have thought after Grenfell that they would want to make sure things are fire safe, instead of ignoring it and dealing with it later. “
Rural Urban Synthesis Society was granted permission to build the apartments by Lewisham Council in 2018.
An updated application to increase the number of flats from 33 to 36 was approved in April 2021.
A spokesperson for the Rural Urban Synthesis Society said it is working with the London Fire Brigade to ensure concerns are addressed.
They said a test was carried out and a fire engine was able to fit through.
The spokesperson said: “We are continuing to consult with the London Fire Brigade on other issues in relation to access and building control, including those raised in their letter from August 2021, in order to ensure the finished development complies with all requirements in relation to fire safety.”
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