West Midlands apartment block left without fire protection
Birmingham Magistrates Court was told the necessary improvements have now been carried out
More than 100 people in a Birmingham block of flats were left without fire protection recommended by industry experts post-Grenfell, a court heard.
Middlesex-based real estate firm Avamore pleaded guilty to failing to comply with an operative improvement notice which required a National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) L5 Fire Alarm System to be installed in one of the blocks of Solihull Heights in Coventry Road.
At a hearing on Thursday (May 21), Birmingham Magistrates Court was told four storey Block A, the tallest of three blocks and the one which required the works, is occupied by approximately 160 people.
Yasmin Osman, prosecuting, said a notice was first served on the company in May 2025 with the works required to be carried out by November last year.
But she added that, between August and September 2025, Avamore had failed to produce updates or communicate with Birmingham City Council.
The company later did confirm the block was to be fitted with 64 fire detectors, although Ms Osman said no evidence of this work had been produced.
When the work wasn’t carried out by November, a failed compliance meeting was arranged but then cancelled due to illness.
Ms Osman said: “This is a flagrant disregard. The defendant was issued with an improvement notice and there was no application for an extension or an amendment.
“Post Grenfell, which is what I use as a reference, there was a serious risk of harm.”
She added: “As of Tuesday (May 19), we have been told the works have been complied with but have not seen the evidence.”
Mohammed Khan, defending, said the company’s early guilty plea was an “early admittance of failures which showed remorse”.
He said: “The company informs me that it was not a blatant disregard (of the notice).
“By November, it should have been done. There have been problems not just with contractors but also with some of the residents and tenants.
“Having access to the premises is not as simple as knocking the door and then fitting the alarm.
“Delays in the works is not a reasonable excuse. But the improvement notice has now been complied with.”
The case was adjourned for sentencing, which will take place on June 18.
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