Fire and furnishings

COMPLIANCE – FIRE AND FURNISHINGS

Compliance Corner – The Fire and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1988 Every so often, we are going to cover a Regulation or an Act, to share what it means, what it covers, and what you need to do as a landlord. This week, we are turning the spotlight on furnishings because they are so often overlooked. It’s not a catchy topic, so it’s not one that you will hear people talk about often but, if you have ever had the misfortune to witness a fire, then you will understand why we consider it so important. Take the time to get it right, know your responsibilities and keep your tenants safe and yourself compliant! What are The Fire and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1988?

REGULATIONS, REQUIREMENTS & DUTIES

The Fire and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations came into force on 1st November 1988, to protect furnished goods against fire. They set the levels of fire resistance for domestic upholstered furniture, furnishings, and other products containing upholstery. It is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure that any furniture left at the property complies with these regulations. The items below are included if they contain upholstery (soft furnishings):

• Sofa beds & futons • Beds, headboards, mattresses and bed bases. • Sofas, armchairs and foot stalls • Nursery furniture • Garden furniture suitable for use indoors (deckchairs & parasols are not covered) • Scatter cushions and seat pads • Pillows • Padded seats • Loose and stretch furniture covers

• Bed covers, including mattress protectors & duvets • Curtains • Carpets • Furniture made before 1950 (as long as it has not been re-upholstered)

PENALTIES

Non-Compliance is a criminal offence and may lead to a fine of up to £5,000 and/or a prison sentence of up to 6 months. The trading standards office is responsible for seeing that the regulations are complied with.

If you are unsure, you should look for the “fire safety” tag on the furniture, if you cannot find it… don’t risk it. Non-fire safe furniture kills, so be responsible and keep your tenants safe!

MASSIVE NEW DEVELOPMENT FOR BRISLINGTON WEST

TALBOT ROAD ALLOTMENT SHOW:

The annual Talbot Road Allotment Show is being held a little earlier this year on Saturday 13th August from 12:30 onwards. As well as prizes for the best produce, there will be music from the Bristol Ukelele Band and refreshments from the hut. Do come along and meet or make some allotment friends. Jos regularly volunteers at the allotment shop, which is currently in a poor state of repair. We are pleased to report that the council has agreed give the outside of the shop and community area a much-needed lick of paint. CIL FUNDING UPDATE:

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) fund is money developers pay to the council to offset the environmental impact of their developments. Every year, individuals and groups can apply for funding for community infrastructure projects. At a meeting of councillors at City Hall last week, CIL bids were selected to go forward to the next stage of the process. As always, there were more bids than money available and not all schemes were successful. Here in Brislington West, two schemes were selected to go forward, a school street for Eton Road and biodiversity and recreational improvements to Arnos Court Park.

There was also a joint scheme with Brislington East for traffic safety improvements on Wick Road and Newbridge Road. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that any of these schemes will ultimately be successful. However, there may be alternative sources of funding for some projects. UNSIGHTLY BILLBOARDS REMOVED:

Following our intervention, we are pleased to say the unsightly and dangerous hoardings at the construction site on Bath Road opposite Arnos Vale Cemetery have now been removed by the developers and replaced with Heras fencing. They have told us that construction on the new apartment block is due to commence in November, although there will be some preparatory groundwork before then.

COMMUNITY LITTER PICK:

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our community litter pick on Saturday. We managed to collect several bags of litter in a short space of time around the Sand Hill and Whitby Road area of Brislington West. We are hoping to organise another litter pick shortly and will post details here. HIGH STREETS RECOVERY AND RENEWAL:

AGE UK COMMUNITY BOOST GRANTS:

The Community Boost Grants programme is a one-off funding opportunity being administered by Age UK Bristol. The money for this funding has come from the NHS Inequalities Improvement Programme. The grants are intended to allow local communities to set up their own activities or projects that will benefit people experiencing or at risk of poor health – whether that is due to long-term health conditions, significant life events, marginalisation or discrimination, stress, lack of financial security, or being unable to access opportunities for exercise or healthy meals. Although Age UK Bristol, which has previously run similar schemes, is administering the grants, projects do not need to focus on older people. Applications for projects aimed at young people, families, or for people of all ages are welcome. Groups or individuals can apply for up to £2,000 for their activity. The deadline is midday on Friday 16th September. The application form and guidance notes are available on the website here:

Hundreds of Brislington West residents have signed up to receive our monthly newsletter via email. You can register using this link: http://www.bristollibdems.org/efocus.

CLICK HERE

Do you have experience of working with the community and other stakeholders to co-design and deliver culture and event activities in the city’s priority high streets, including Brislington Village, as part of the Council’s City Centre and High Streets Recovery and Renewal Programme? The City Centre and High Streets Recovery and Renewal Programme is funded by Bristol City Council and the West of England Combined Authorities Love our High Streets project and will provide investment for Bristol-based organisations to deliver cultural events and activities until 31 August 2023. These activities and events will bring residents together, attract and welcome visitors to the high streets and support the economic recovery of the city.

By Jos Clark, Liberal Democrat Councillor (Brislington West) Email: cllr.jos.clark@bristol.gov.uk Mobile: 07584 370429

& Andrew Varney, Liberal Democrat Councillor (Brislington West) Email: cllr.andrew.varney@bristol.gov.uk Mobile: 07584 183381