COUNCIL officials in Taunton Deane have responded to the tragic fire in London which has so far seen the death of 79 residents, with the figure expected to rise. 

Grenfell Tower caught alight on Wednesday, June 14, destroying the homes of around 600 people.

The message across Taunton is that the town has no high-rise tower blocks, but puts the health and safety of residents in the 5,800 properties as a priority. 

The majority of council flat blocks in Taunton are two-storey, with the highest being four-storey. 

Liberal Democrat councillor Fran Smith asked the council for reassurance in light of the tragedy. She asked in regards to issues that may have been a factor in the rapid spread of the fire, cladding, smoke alarms, and water sprinklers. 

The chairman of the Tenants Services Management Board, Richard Balman said: “The TSMB has been updated on the current position with respect to fire safety.  We are satisfied that the council has no high-rise housing (over four-storey) and has not used the type of cladding linked to the terrible tragedy at Grenfell Tower. 

“We are also assured that the Council has a robust programme of fire risk assessments in place. 

"TSMB will continue to monitor and ensure that fire safety compliance is a priority for the housing service.”

Leader of the council, Cllr John Williams, said: “Words cannot describe the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, the loss of life and the terrible suffering. As a council, we take our role as landlord extremely seriously and want to make sure tenants feel reassured that we put their safety and security first.

“We do not own or manage any properties that could be classified as high-rise. We have a clear compliance plan and that enables us to keep our tenants safe.”

MP for Taunton Deane, Rebecca Pow, met with Cllr Williams to discuss fire safety in council houses across Taunton Deane

She said: "The safety of our council tenants across the constituency is paramount.

"Fortunately, there are no council properties above four storeys in Taunton Deane, however, I felt it important to receive assurances from the Council that all steps are being taken to give due regard to the safety of those living in our local authority housing."

Ms Pow confirmed that she will also be contacting housing associations to ask for similar reassurances following the tragedy.

Gideon Amos, the LibDems Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Taunton Deane added: “Observing this week’s minute’s silence is something that has united us all and the least we could do in response to this tragedy.

"The quick action of our local fire service inspecting high rise buildings is exemplary. But people also want reassurance and the responsible thing for us as the opposition to do is ask searching questions.”

In the 2017-18 Revenue Budget and Council Tax Levels report published after a meeting of the resources committee on February 8, it states that Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue could be set to see a budget reduction of 24.6 per cent by 2019-20. 

Mr Amos who served for ten years as Chief Executive of the Town and Country Planning Association added that regulations should not be "watered down" or seen as "red tape" and that the cuts should be put on hold until the questions are answered.