Worcester Park fire: building involved in major blaze was owned by Metropolitan Thames Valley
The block in south-west London which was hit by a major blaze in the early hours of Monday morning was owned and managed by Metropolitan Thames Valley, Inside Housing can reveal.
A Metropolitan Thames Valley spokesperson confirmed that the block was one of their properties. There were a total of 23 apartments within the block, with all of them being shared ownership.
Around 20 fire engines and 125 firefighters have been tackling the blaze at the four-storey block in Sherbrooke Way in Worcester Park, Sutton. The fire was brought under control at 6.30am.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has reported no injuries at this stage but images from the scene show all four floors on fire at the development.
Inside Housing is currently at the site, where it has seen a number of Metropolitan Thames Valley staff members.
A spokesperson for the housing association said: “We’re supporting emergency services on the ground and our priority is ensuring that residents are safe.”
Speaking after the fire, Martin Corbett, Sutton borough fire commander, said the building would now “probably be knocked down at some point and rebuilt”.
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Rick Ogden, group manager at the LFB, who was at the scene, said: “On arrival, crews were faced with a well-developed and intense fire.
“This was a challenging fire involving all floors of a four-storey building. Firefighters worked hard to bring the blaze under control.
“Firefighters will remain on the scene throughout the day. We would urge people to avoid the area if possible and for residents in the immediate area to keep their windows and doors closed.”
A spokesperson for Berkeley Group, the developer of The Hampton’s site, said: "I can confirm that the property was constructed a decade ago, in full compliance with all fire regulations. We will support the London Fire Brigade in their investigation into what happened. In the meantime, our priority is to make sure residents are properly looked after."
It is clear from many of the pictures of the completed development that many homes use timber boards on their exterior. Early pictures from the fire appear to show timber on the walls of the burning building.
If timber is found to be involved in this fire, it will be the third huge timber-related blaze in a residential property this summer.
In June, flames tore through timber cladding fixed to the outside of Samuel Garside House in Barking Riverside, forcing residents to flee for their lives.
In August, timber-framed Beechmere retirement complex in Crewe was completely destroyed in a blaze.
Building regulations place no restrictions on the use of combustible timber in the external walls of buildings below 18m in height.
