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Byker Wall building safety works: have your say

Keeping our customers safe in their homes is our top priority. In the Byker Wall we have several measures in place to ensure your safety in the event of a fire. This includes 24-hour monitoring of the fire detection within homes, the installation of fire doors to your home and communal areas, and regular inspection of all communal areas. 

As part of our building safety work, we are working with the Building Safety Regulator, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue service and Newcastle City Council, to understand what more we can do to ensure that our buildings and your homes are as safe as possible. 

We commissioned independent fire safety experts to carry out external wall surveys of the Byker Wall, these are called Fire Risk Appraisal of External Wall (FRAEW) Assessments. These surveys are very important and allow us to understand fully the impact a fire could have on the building, and what we would need to do to control a fire if one was to happen.   

From these surveys it has been recommended that we need to: 

  • Install a sprinkler system within all flats and maisonettes in the building 

  • Install automatic smoke vents within the stairwells 

  • Replace some of the canopy coverings over balconies and walkways using fire-retardant materials approved by the regulator 

  • Introduce a strict management process for combustible material stored on private balconies and within communal areas 

We anticipate that these fire safety improvements will be delivered over a three-year period, beginning April 2026 in Byker Crescent by our partnering contractor Harmony Fire Ltd.  

Byker Crescent, Felton Walk, Long Headlam, Shipley Rise, Rabygate, Shipley Walk, Dalton Crescent, Dunn Terrace and Northumberland Terrace will receive the full list of works outlined above.

Gordon House, Brinkburn House, Kendal House, Tom Collins House, Wolseley House, Salisbury House and Graham House will receive the list of works except the Sprinkler System, as it was not reccommended by the surveys. 

We want to hear from you

If you have any thoughts or questions about our building safety plans for the Byker Wall, we’d love to hear from you.

You can access our feedback form by clicking here.

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