At least ten councils have now begged Sajid Javid for ‘Grenfell’ cash to fix dangerous buildings after he claimed none needed help

AT LEAST ten councils have been forced to beg ministers for extra cash for life-saving fire safety improvements following the Grenfell fire.

Last week Sajid Javid said he was unaware that anyone needed assistance but a number have penned letters pleading for more funding to complete vital works - including more fire doors, installing sprinklers, and removing cladding from buildings.

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But the communities secretary said last week in a statement that he had not heard of any authorities that had requested aid.

He guaranteed councils that if any extra funding was needed for the emergency works, national government would step in and aid them.

And he threatened to force councils to upgrade buildings if they refuse to make them safe after the fire.

Although legal responsibility for fire safety “lies with local authorities”, he said he did have he power to direct an authority to consider the results “as part of their duty to keep housing conditions under review”.

Authorities and housing associations have been ordered to carry out urgent checks and extensive fire safety reviews to ensure all buildings are as secure as possible - after at least 80 people died in the West London fire last month.

208 blocks have been fitting with the similar cladding to that used at Grenfell. 189 of those have had cladding tested and all have failed fire safety tests.

Yesterday Mr Javid told Sky News: "Councils will get in touch with my department on many different things, and when they do, eventually that will be brought to my notice."

He went on: "What I said was, in the House of Commons and elsewhere, is that I am not aware of any councils that have got in touch with me, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been in touch with other people in my department."

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Last night a DCLG spokesperson confirmed that the communities secretary had now been made aware that Councils had written in asking for help.

At least ten councils have told The Sun that they have written to Mr Javid or members of his team to inquire about funding possibilities - but many had yet to receive a reply.

Birmingham, Southampton, Liverpool and Sheffield councils confirmed they had already been in touch or were set to do so.

In London Greenwich, Lewisham, Wandsworth, Southwark, Croydon and Brent Councils said they had done so.

Housing minister Alok Sharma told Croydon Council in a letter two days before Mr Javid's Commons statement that "we will ensure that lack of financial resources will not prevent" necessary work from "going ahead". But this information was not passed to the minister before he announced in the Commons he had not heard from any authorities.

A DCLG spokesman told The Sun: “At the time of the Communities Secretary’s statement to Parliament on 20 July 2017, he had not been made aware of letters from councils in relation to financial support.

"We’ve been clear with councils and housing associations that we expect them to do whatever local fire services and experts say is necessary to make residential buildings safe.

"A number of councils have contacted the department about support to carry out this work. We aim to respond to each letter we have received within the next 24 hours, and will consider on a case-by-case basis what assistance may be required."

Labour has called on the government for "urgent clarification" and confirmation of exactly how many councils have requested help.

Shadow Housing Minister John Healey wrote to Mr Javid to say: "You have promised emergency funding help which must now be delivered so that the public can be reassured that the Government is indeed doing everything it can to make sure another tragedy like Grenfell Tower can never happen again."

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But despite the reassurances that money will be provided, many are growing impatient with the lack of information about how they can access the desperately-needed cash.

Councillor Alison Butler, cabinet member for housing at Croydon Council, said: "When it comes to improving fire safety for our residents, Croydon Council is putting its money where its mouth is.

"I am yet to be convinced the same is true of Government."

Southwark Council's leader Peter John said in his letter: "Councils should not be forced to choose between the safety of our residents and the quality of their homes.

"Instead, the Government should raise the borrowing cap for local authorities and guarantee national funding for additional fire safety works."

Some councils - like Hammersmith and Fullham - have agreed to fund a £20m scheme for fire safety without waiting for guarantees from central government - as they say that action cannot be delayed.

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The news comes just days after the Core Cities group demanded the Government set up a national fund to deliver any urgent measures necessary to keep citizens safe.

Chair of the group and leader of Leeds City Council, Cllr Judith Blake, said: "we need the Government to commit now to make sure any additional measures are properly funded and resourced."

And in Wales - where housing policy is devolved - Cardiff Council is hoping that if a fund is created, some of that will be allocated to Wales.

Cllr Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at Cardiff Council, said: “We are supportive of the principle to find resources to help fund any work relating to fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.

"Should funding be made available from Central Government, we would hope the Welsh Government would receive a consequential payment and it would then be a matter for the Welsh Government to deal with on an all-Wales basis."