Housing association told to pay £120k after fire safety failings led to disabled resident's death

Mount Green has been told to pay £120,636 after fire safety failings that led to the death of a vulnerable resident in Surrey in 2022.

The 1,700-home provider entered a guilty plea to charges brought against it by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service and was sentenced last week (4 February).

The fire, which took place in January 2022 at Greylees, Godalming, saw a wheelchair-using resident unable to escape before being overcome by heat and smoke in the communal corridor. 

Several other residents were rescued, some of whom required hospital treatment due to smoke inhalation.

Mount Green admitted breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 that put people at risk of death and serious injury. 

These included failure to attach a self-closing device to a flat entrance door, failure to provide an appropriately configured system for the premises’ stay-put policy, and failure to address recommendations dating back as far as 2019. 

According to a statement released by the local authority, the judge in the case emphasised that the low level of the fine was because the money was needed by the housing association to help other vulnerable people in the community.

According to Marcus Canning, director of Mount Green Housing Association, remedial works to address fire safety issues at Greylees began in April 2021 and were completed in June 2023.

“We remain committed to taking every learning point on board and have implemented changes to strengthen our processes and policies,” he said.

“Having pleaded guilty to the three charges brought against Mount Green Housing Association by Surrey County Council in relation to fire safety breaches at one of our properties in 2022 that resulted in the tragic loss of Mr Waller’s life, we fully accept the fine that has subsequently been issued.

“We recognise how difficult this process has been for Mr Waller’s family, and we extend our deepest sympathies to them.”

Lee Spencer-Smith, area commander at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, said: “First and foremost, the thoughts of everyone here at the service remain with the loved ones of the person who lost their life in January 2022.  

“This sentencing was about accountability in terms of public safety. This is something that we, alongside many other public bodies, are working hard to encourage. Responsible persons have a duty of care to their residents, particularly the most vulnerable members of the community. 

“This outcome highlights the consequences of failures in fire safety management and the critical need for proactive, responsible action to protect people.”