£8.2m fire safety upgrades for hundreds of Leeds homes over four years
Fire safety work will begin on hundreds of homes in Leeds as part of an £8.2m project over the next four years.
Works will be carried out on around 600 back-to-back homes after a contractor was hired by Leeds City Council.
An estimated 140 properties which have been converted into flats will also have improvements carried out by fire protection firm Ventro Ltd.
Fire doors, detection systems and emergency lighting will be installed to bring the council’s housing stock into line with current regulations.
A council report said “compartmentation” works to prevent fires spreading through buildings would be carried out as part of the scheme, set to start in September.
It said: “These works contribute to the ongoing strategy to undertake repairs and improvement works to the council’s housing stock, which includes improving fire safety.”
Ventro would be hired for a three-year period, with the option of extending the contract by another 12 months.
The annual spend was estimated at just over £2m.
Tenants and leaseholders were be consulted on the scheme after a procurement exercise was launched.
The report said: “This procurement will help to improve fire safety within our housing stock and ensure the properties meet current regulations.”
Council bosses decided Ventro offered the best value for money after three tender submissions were received.