Fire risk assessment in Tower Hamlets

Canary Wharf and the surrounding Isle of Dogs have seen two decades of high-density tower construction, many buildings well over 18 metres with a mix of simultaneous and stay-put evacuation strategies depending on age and remediation status. Bow, Poplar and Whitechapel retain substantial post-war estate blocks built from system construction, alongside Victorian terraces converted into flats and a growing number of new-build mid-rise schemes replacing older industrial sites. Warehouse-to-residential conversions around Wapping and the eastern fringes bring large open floorplates that were never designed with compartmented escape routes in mind. Whitechapel and Bethnal Green also carry a meaningful number of HMOs above ground-floor retail.

Tower Hamlets has previously run selective and additional licensing schemes covering specific wards, and scheme boundaries and renewal dates change over time, so confirm the current designation and conditions with the council's private sector housing team before an application is submitted. Given the scale of the high-rise stock here, external wall system (EWS1) status and any interim fire safety measures are usually just as relevant to a landlord's compliance position as HMO licensing itself.

Canary Wharf estate parking and access is managed by the estate operator, so we build in time for security registration on arrival, and most of the borough falls inside ULEZ though not the Congestion Charge zone east of Tower Bridge. Larger blocks here often already have a fire risk assessment history and interim measures log that we review before the visit to avoid duplicating work. Managing agents for the newer towers typically want reports formatted for their portfolio management software, which we can accommodate. Turnaround on straightforward blocks is within 24 hours of the visit; taller or remediation-affected buildings may need a short follow-up call to agree scope beforehand.

The concentration of towers across the Isle of Dogs means questions about external wall construction and evacuation strategy come up on almost every visit, not as an exception. Where a building's external wall system status is uncertain or an EWS1 assessment has not been completed, we note this explicitly as a matter the responsible person needs to progress alongside the fire risk assessment, rather than treating it as outside scope. Interim measures such as waking watch patrols or a temporary simultaneous evacuation strategy are common while remediation is arranged, and part of our assessment is checking whether those interim measures are actually being delivered as specified, not just documented as having been commissioned.

The former dockside warehouses converted to residential use around Wapping and Shadwell retain the large open floorplates, exposed brick and heavy timber or steel structure of their industrial past, which creates genuinely long travel distances to a protected stair in some units. Mezzanine levels added during conversion sometimes lack a fire-protected structure of their own, and we assess whether the mezzanine floor construction contributes to the overall fire resistance the building needs, rather than assuming it is incidental. Many of these conversions also retain a single goods lift converted for passenger use, and confirming its fire safety status alongside the stair is part of the visit.

Bow and Poplar combine substantial post-war system-built estate blocks with newer infill development on former industrial or garage sites, often built at higher density than the surrounding stock. Estate blocks here have frequently had fire doors replaced in phases over many years by different contractors, so a single block can have several generations of fire door with inconsistent certified performance, which we document flat by flat rather than assuming consistency across the building. Dry riser inlets serving these blocks are sometimes obstructed by resurfaced car parking bays or newly landscaped areas installed without reference to fire service access requirements.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, the freeholder, managing agent, landlord or employer must ensure a written fire risk assessment exists, is acted upon, and is reviewed at least annually. Buildings over 11 metres also require quarterly communal fire door checks, annual flat entrance door checks and wayfinding signage. We can deliver all of it in one visit.