North Wales fire chiefs slam business bosses in sprinkler row

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Business leaders have called for a plan to install life-saving sprinklers in all new homes to be scrapped – because of the cost.

The Welsh CBI has been accused of putting profits above lives by furious fire chiefs.

Cardiff-based CBI Wales director David Rosser says the move could add thousands of pounds to the price of every new home in Wales and cost the construction industry millions.

But fire chiefs reacted angrily, saying each fire fatality costs £1.3m and nobody has ever died in a UK house fire where there were sprinklers.

Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jones has introduced a Legislative Competence Order to the Welsh Assembly which, if backed by fellow AMs, would make it mandatory to install sprinklers in all new homes.

The organisation has written to Ms Jones telling her the proposal would be costly and unworkable and would make Wales a less attractive place for developers and new entrants to the housing market.

Mr Rosser claimed: “The aims behind the proposal are admirable but the proposal in its current form is unworkable. It would add significantly to the cost of new houses and have a damaging effect on the competitiveness of our development and construction sector.

“We think that the finite resources available in Wales would be better targeted at existing housing stock to ensure they have even the basic warning and protection systems for smoke, heat and carbon monoxide and to remove flammable materials and improve means of escape.”

But Chris Enness, North Wales’ deputy chief fire officer, hit back angrily last night.

He said: “I find it really disappointing the CBI is putting money above the value of a life, especially when research shows the cost of a life is £1.3m.

“Wales has lost, on average, 20 people a year through fire deaths in the home over the past five years. Sprinkler systems would have avoided all of those deaths – nobody has ever died in a UK house fire where there were sprinklers.

“That could save more than £20m, and there is the additional saving in hospital and burns unit treatment, damage to property and rehousing.

“The CBI has not taken that into account and their figures do not add up.”

Ms Jones has tabled proposals for automatic fire sprinkler systems to be installed in all newly-built homes in Wales.

Ms Jones said: “I believe this is a public safety issue and is the sort of thing the Assembly has been set up to address.”

The issue is to be debated by the Welsh Assembly government next month.