Mount Green Housing Association sentenced following Surrey Fire and Rescue Service investigation

Mount Green Housing Association has been ordered to pay £120,636 following fire safety failings that led to the death of a vulnerable resident in a fire at Greylees, Godalming, in January 2022. The sentencing took place yesterday (Wednesday 4 February) at Staines Magistrates’ Court, after the organisation entered a guilty plea to charges brought by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service. 

The devastating fire saw a wheelchair-using resident unable to escape to safety before being overcome by heat and smoke in the communal corridor. Several other residents were rescued by fire and rescue crews, some of whom required hospital treatment due to smoke inhalation.  

Mount Green Housing Association was responsible for fire safety measures in the building, and admitted breaches to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 that put people at risk of death and serious injury. These included: 

• failure to attach a self-closing device to a flat entrance door 

• failure to provide an appropriately configured system for the premises’ stay-put policy 

• failure to address recommendations dating back as far as 2019. 

The judge emphasised that one key reason for the lower than usual fine was due to the community impact that the association has: “I cannot impress enough that the reason this is so low is that the money is needed to help others in the community – domestic abuse, housing.” 

Lee Spencer-Smith, Area Commander at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, said: “First and foremost, the thoughts of everyone here at the service remain with the loved ones of the person who lost their life in January 2022.  

“This sentencing was about accountability in terms of public safety. This is something that we, alongside many other public bodies, are working hard to encourage. Responsible persons have a duty of care to their residents, particularly the most vulnerable members of the community. 

“This outcome highlights the consequences of failures in fire safety management and the critical need for proactive, responsible action to protect people.” 

Businesses in Surrey can gain free advice and support from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service by visiting www.surreycc.gov.uk/fire.