Colchester block of flats evacuated due to fire safety risks

A total of 125 people have been told they can no longer live in their homes in Colchester after multiple breaches of fire safety were discovered.

Residents of Amleen House apartment building in Hawkins Road in Colchester were told to leave on Monday evening, following the inspection.

There were 100 students and six families living in the privately owned seven-storey building.

Road- Hawkins Road in Colchester (Image: Newsquest)

Fire chiefs said if the building had caught fire within the year residents had been living there, it would have spread very quickly, putting everyone inside in danger.

According to the prohibition notice, escape routes were found to be compromised by “serious fire safety deficiencies".

The fire compartmentation between walls, floors and doors is insufficient and there were also unprotected vertical shafts and exposed electrical wiring found inside the building.

Jim Palmer, head of response at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The prohibition notice has been issued because an inspection found lots of breaches of fire safety.

“In the event of a fire, it would spread rapidly meaning there is a serious risk to the lives of the people living there.

“Residents would not be able to evacuate safely and this would put residents at a higher risk of serious injury or death.

“Usually there would be proper fire walls within the building but in this case, there is no separation between compartments.

“If we see a building that poses safety concerns we will act quickly to protect the people living there.

Representative- Jim Palmer, head of response at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (Image: Newsquest)

“In this instance, we carried out the inspection in the day on Monday and residents were told to leave by 10pm the same day.

“Essex County Fire and Rescue Service will only ever serve a prohibition notice when it is absolutely necessary.

“We never want people to lose their homes, but our responsibility is to keep people safe and protect them from the risk of fire.

Notice- prohibition notice at Amleen House (Image: Newsquest)

“In this instance, we are clear that the property did not meet fire regulations.

“It would therefore have been highly irresponsible for our service not to immediately prohibit the use of the building.”

A spokesman from the University of Essex said: “We are deeply concerned about the fire safety issues identified by Essex Fire and Rescue Service at these privately-operated flats in Colchester. 

“Our students and their dependents were at risk of being left homeless so we immediately stepped up to offer them access to emergency accommodation. 

“Our staff visited the site alongside fire officers so we could tell students straightaway about the support we could offer and gave close to 100 people somewhere safe to stay – including several families. 

“We’re now following up with ongoing support and advice to our students, while continuing to liaise closely with Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. 

“We are keen to highlight that we have high standard accommodation options available on our campus for students choosing to study at Essex and if students cannot find something appropriate we always recommend they use the SU Homes service managed by our Students’ Union – which helps them secure good quality and affordable accommodation.” 

The council has temporarily housed six families in a hotel in Colchester.

A spokesman for Colchester Council said: “The Health and Safety Executive has been informed and the council is supporting the Fire Service to ensure the landlord complies with the enforcement notice.

“We understand that this is a worrying time for residents, and we will continue to work with all agencies involved to ensure that their safety is our top priority.”