Christian Hansen, partner in our Housing and Property litigation team, acted for the Richmond House residents in their High Court Claim for damages. After the settlement of the claim, some Richmond House residents have moved into a re-constructed building on the same site. The building is suffering from faulty fire alarm systems.

Richmond House was a timber-framed building less than 11 metres high with 23 shared-ownership homes destroyed by fire in September 2019. The building burnt down in minutes in the middle of the night. All 60 victims were left homeless, mainly key workers including teachers and NHS staff. Many were seriously injured escaping.

Forensic reports from independent experts and the LFB identify the building had hidden cavity defects which caused the rapid fire spread. The building had wrongly been given a ‘stay put’ fire strategy. Were it not for the quick thinking of residents in raising the alarm and helping each other to escape, many could have died.

Residents settled their damages claims after a five-year struggle against the developer, Berkeley Group PLC, and the freeholder, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association.

Those residents who have returned to the reconstructed building are now living with a defective fire alarm system.

The i Paper has interviewed residents and published their story, which can be read here.

Read our previous article on the Richmond House fire, along with Christian’s previous comments.