Grenfell tragedy prompts Blackpool push for tougher fire safety

The move has been prompted by recent tragedies including the loss of 72 lives when fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in London in 2017.

Councillors unanimously backed a notice of motion brought to full council by Conservative group leader Coun Tony Williams.

He said there were on average 37,000 house fires in the UK each year, and installing sprinklers could save lives and reduce injuries and property damage.

Coun Williams told the meeting: "The benefits are it saves lives and when contractors are building new homes it's just a few hundred pounds to put sprinker systems in."

Council leader Coun Simon Blackburn said: "The tragedy at Grenfell started a national conversation about how we deal with both fire risk and building safety.

"With my Local Government Association hat on, as chair of the Safer Communities Board, my officers have been closely involved with the Dame Judith Hackitt review into building safety.

"It would be folly to imagine this is just an issue which involves high rise buildings, it affects all premises - residential, commercial and otherwise.

"We do as a nation need to look much more closely at what is and isn't acceptable in the construction process."

The council agreed to ask the chief executive to write to the minister for housing, communities and local government to consider making it mandatory in building regulations that house builders install fire authority approved sprinkler systems on all new residential buildings.

Coun Williams hopes to persuade other councils to agree similar motions in order to increase lobbying pressure on the government.