RE: FOIA 9121 Good afternoon, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to you today to follow up on previous enquiries raised by our office relating to the Fire Safety Compliance at 112 Great Russell Street. On the 28th of October 2024 (FOIA 9121.1) and subsequently on the 5th of December 2024 (FOIA 9121.2) your offices provided Freedom of Information request responses relating to compliance at the Zedwell Hotel property at 112 Great Russell Street. We are most grateful for your time and attention in dealing with these requests. As you will be aware, within these responses it is clarified that (a) LFB raised serious concerns throughout the planning process regarding the fire safety arrangements and the fire safety statement which was prepared; and (b) that following a fire safety audit LFB agreed that it is clear that the premises are broadly compliant with the relevant regulator frameworks. I would be most grateful if you could outline what material changes were made to the project’s fire safety design following LFB’s commissioner consultation response raising serious concerns in his email dated 15th of October 2020? To clarify, we are seeking to better understand the way in which the project evolved from the 15th of October 2020 when it was made clear that the commissioner “is not satisfied with the proposals”, to the point at which the proposals have since come to fruition, been developed and have successfully passed a fire safety audit on the 13th of May 2024. In addition, our office has been advised by Camden Council’s information team that “There have been no direct communications between Planning Officers and the London Fire Brigade or any independently commissioned fire consultants on any of the planning applications for 112 Great Russell Street.” (Aside from of course the fire safety statement which was prepared by a fire engineering safety consultant). I would be grateful if you could confirm if there was indeed no contact between London Fire Brigade and Camden Council’s Planning Officers during this process? From the prior response received from your office I understand that LFB did make a concerted effort to make clear to Officers concerns which they had at the time.
