Residents urged to remove 'combustible materials' from tower block landing in Paisley

Residents of a Paisley tower block will be urged to remove “combustible materials” from communal landings after a safety inspection.

Renfrewshire Council plans to write to Hamilton Court tenants after the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) identified concerns – namely the presence of items, which are more prone to catching fire, in shared areas.

People will be asked to move the objects, which include furniture, mobility scooters, plants, pictures, rugs, and ornaments, from the landings to ensure the safety of everyone living in the high-rise flats.

Once a letter has been issued, residents will be given four weeks to remove the items. If they remain after that period of time, the council will take them and place them in storage for six months.

Councillor Eddie Devine, who represents Paisley Southeast, said: “I would advise people to follow the instructions that are issued by the council in relation to this matter.

“It is important that they remove anything of theirs from the communal landings that is potentially a fire risk, both for their own safety and the safety of everyone else in the block.”

The issue surfaced after a recent visit to Hamilton Court from SFRS, with the service in turn contacting the fire safety officer (FSO) and raising their concern over the volume of the aforementioned items.

The FSO liaised with the housing officer and spoke to residents but attempts to remove the items have been unsuccessful so far.

An email from a member of the council’s department of environment, housing and infrastructure, which has been seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, stressed the serious nature of the situation.

It said: “The risk posed by this combustible material is significant with the potential to put both the SFRS officers and residents in danger should there be an incident.

“I do appreciate that these are people’s homes but the need for safety and compliance with legislation is essential.”