Grenfell firm Lakehouse sued over school fire

The contractor in charge of maintaining the fire alarm systems at Grenfell Tower is being sued for alleged “negligence” over a blaze that destroyed a school in south-east London, the Evening Standard can reveal.

Housing services firm Lakehouse is embroiled in a £13 million legal battle following a fire at an academy school championed by former education secretary Michael Gove.

Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham Temple Grove primary school in New Cross burned down in 2010 when a propane gas canister exploded during refurbishment over the Easter vacation.

The contractor Lakehouse Contracts, a subsidiary, and subcontractor Cambridge Polymer Roofing (CPR), are being sued for alleged “negligence” and “breach of duty”.

In legal documents seen by the Standard, Lewisham Council, the owner of the building, and Haberdashers’ claim that Lakehouse failed to “take adequate steps to prevent fire”.

These included training and supervision of staff at CPR, and providing “appropriate fire safety measures”, which they claim endangered pupils.

Lakehouse was in charge of testing and maintaining fire alarms at Grenfell, which some residents claimed failed to go off as the fire raged last month, killing at least 80 people.

Lakehouse said it was “satisfied” the Grenfell fire alarms were maintained “in accordance with requirements” and that they had been inspected in January and certified as being in good working order.

Haberdashers’ and Lewisham claim the school fire originated when employees of CPR were using a blowtorch.

They allege CPR’s employees left a gas cylinder on the roof, and Lakehouse “should have ensured that proper measures were implemented and maintained its own supervision and fire watch”.