Fire safety update for residents of Braithwaite House and Harvist Estate
During reviews of fire safety, we have found out some new information about the external wall insulation on the blocks at Braithwaite House and Harvist Estate.
Problems with cladding
We have recently carried out inspections on rainscreen cladding systems on high-rise residential buildings at the Harvist Estate and Braithwaite House.
We found some problems in the cladding system including the lack of a barrier to stop fire from spreading inside the cladding.
What we are doing about it
We will remove the cladding as part of works taking place on the Harvist Estate.
We were going to remove cladding panels within the next 2 to 3 months, because the cladding was old, but we will do this as soon as we have the approval of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).
We will also be doing other major works at Braithwaite House to address the issues from the inspections as soon as we can and in a way that minimises any disruption to you.
Working with London Fire Brigade, we will be making some changes to your building’s evacuation plan and increasing safety measures straight away.
How we are keeping you safe
Increasing safety measures
24 hour patrol
From Monday 23 February 2026, we are employing a “waking watch” of trained staff who will be patrolling the building 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They will be looking for problems and will give early warnings of any chance of fire. We hired City Security Group who will patrol both sites.
Safety technology
We are also exploring more technical ways of helping, such as interlinked alarm and evacuation systems, to manage risk and reduce interruption to you over the coming weeks.
Changing evacuation plans
We will be changing the fire evacuation plan for your building and will have more information soon.
Until we tell you about the changes, you should follow any instructions given by the "waking watch" patrol staff who will safely evacuate you if there is a fire.
Safety measures already in place
The building has many fire safety systems in place already to make sure you stay safe.
These include domestic alarms in flats and a dry rising main to help the London Fire Brigade get water to the upper levels of the building quickly if there is a fire.
The building also has an emergency lighting system and check communal fire doors and flat front entrance doors regularly.
Help for people with disabilities or mobility issues
Let us know now if you or a member of your household has difficulty moving or another vulnerability that may slow down or prevent escape during a fire.
We will work with you to create a person-centred fire risk assessment and, if needed, a Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan, so that you can safely exit the building if there is a fire. Email rpeeps.buildingsafety@islington.gov.uk or call 020 7527 8508.
Payment for cladding and security
We will not charge tenants and leaseholders for the cost of the "waking watch" patrol or any of the fixes to cladding.
Meet us in person
We are holding drop-in sessions over this week and next week (Monday 23 February to Friday 6 March). We will answer all your questions and concerns you may have. After this, we will review and update you. Our drop-ins will be in the Braithwaite House lobby and Harvist Community Centre at:
- Monday 23 February (morning) - 10am to 12pm
- Tuesday 24 February (afternoon) - 2pm to 4pm
- Wednesday 25 February (morning) - 10 am to 12pm
- Thursday 26 February (afternoon) - 2pm to 4pm
- Friday 27 February (morning) - 10am to 12pm
We will also be holding all-resident engagement events:
- Monday 2 March, Harvist Community Centre, 5-8pm - for Harvist estate residents
- Tuesday 3 March, St Luke’s Community Centre, 5-8pm - for Braithwaite House residents
If you have any questions right now, contact us at firesafety@islington.gov.uk. For tenants and leaseholders, speak to the tenancy management team on020 7527 5300 and choose option 2.
More information
Is the cladding the same as Grenfell Tower?
No. The cladding material on your block is not the same as the cladding used at Grenfell Tower. The cladding on Grenfell Tower was Aluminium Composite Cladding (ACM) with a combustible core.
The cladding on your block is High Pressure Laminate (HPL).
Samples of the cladding on your block have been tested at an independent, accredited laboratory and confirmed as a BSEN:13501 Class B material, with ‘very limited contribution to fire’.
The cladding system was also designed with non-combustible insulation, so it is a very different design to the cladding at Grenfell Tower.
The issue with your building
The main issue is there may not be enough suitable cavity barriers in the building’s cladding system.
Cavity barriers are meant to stop fire and smoke spreading behind the cladding. Because of the age of the material, the condition of some of the insulation behind the cladding is worse than used to be. Also, we have found evidence that there are materials in the insulation that may mean the cladding is no longer be as effective.
Because of the lack of barriers, there is concern that a fire in a flat could get into the cladding system and spread to other flats. This is why we are taking extra precautions.
Payment for fixing cladding
If you have any questions or worries about this, contact us on 020 7527 5300 and choose option 2.
Timeline for works
The first step is to remove the cladding in isolated areas. This will take 3 to 6 months. By doing this, we should not need the "waking watch" to patrol 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We will talk with the London Fire Brigade after removing the cladding to make sure that this step will make it safe enough to stop the patrols.
The next step is to submit a building safety application so that we can replace the cladding. We do not know the timeline for this because there are delays in approvals by the regulator. We expect approvals to take around 6 months.
Works to replace the cladding will happen as soon as possible after approval.
How London Fire Brigade is inovlved
The London Fire Brigade will help us manage your building until the cladding is removed or replaced.
They have powers under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to inspect buildings, issue enforcement notices, and in serious cases stop people using unsafe premises until fire safety improvements are made.
When cladding is being fixed, the London Fire Brigade is often involved in site inspections and reviewing risk assessments. Fire safety officers may visit buildings to assess the fire risk posed by existing cladding and to make sure that temporary safety measures (such as "waking watch" patrols, improved alarm systems and evacuation procedures) are in place during work to fix the problems.
Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
Residential PEEPs are mainly for people with disabilities, mobility issues, or other conditions that could make it difficult to leave the building quickly and safely on their own. This includes people who are elderly, have sensory impairments, or use mobility aids like wheelchairs.
Building Safety Act 2022
It is mainly for tall residential buildings. Buildings should be at least 18 metres high or have seven or more floors (these are known as Higher Risk Buildings or HRB) and it applies to both old and new buildings, including your block.
The Building Safety Act brings big changes to how building safety is managed. It makes building owners more accountable, and tries to include residents in safety decisions and make people feel safer in their homes.
Building Safety Regulator
Its main aim is to make sure buildings are safe for people to live and work in by enforcing safety laws and making sure building owners and managers follow the rules.
The BSR is also the Building Control authority for HRB, so most works to an existing Higher Risk Building need its approval before works can begin. This is to make sure the proposals are appropriate and maintain or improve safety.
The BSR also monitors the safety of existing buildings even where no work is taking place through its safety case and building assessment certification regimes.