Council's washing line balcony ban sparks outrage among flat residents

Daily Mirror

16-07-2025

Gravesham Borough Council has said it took action after concerns were raised about "combustible" materials on the outside of some of the properties
Residents living in council-owned flats are not happy about new rules that limit what they can put on their balconies, including a ban on washing lines. Gravesham Borough Council (GBC) says it made these changes after receiving complaints about "flammable" items on the exteriors of some properties in Northfleet, Kent.
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Locals argue that the council is going too far and point out that having a balcony is pointless if they can't use it freely. Tracy, who prefers to keep her last name private, has been in her flat for 20 years and mentions that this is the first time she's been told what she can or cannot have on her balcony, reports Kent Live.
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The 45-year-old said: "They talk about fire safety, but all of the doors are made of wood. Yet, they're saying we can't have anything on our balconies: we have to take everything off. There are people with three kids over the road who have to dry their clothes, but they now have to take their washing lines down. It's just unreasonable. Even our fire exit is made of wood.
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"At the end of the day, they are saying plastic chairs can combust. Have you ever seen a plastic chair combust? I have a chair and table on my balcony, and I've already had to take my wooden fence down because [the council] said they would take it down and charge me if I didn't.
"They haven't asked me to move my chair and table, but, apparently, it is coming. We've been here 20 years, and this is the first time anyone has said anything. Apparently, everyone in Gravesend is being told the same. They are not telling us what we can have, just what we can't have. They only say we can have Grade A galvanised steel or aluminium. I'm paying for a balcony I can't use."
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Her neighbour, Steve Reely, aged 61, also expressed his disapproval of the council's new regulations ."It's been going on for the last few months," Mr Reely, who runs a security company, said. "The housing officer came and told us that, for some reason, we have to take everything off our balconies.
"[The council] leave lots of rubbish all over town, but we have to keep our balconies clean. In some respects, it's petty. It's like someone is trying to justify their job. There are greater fire risks than our personal balconies. It's ridiculous: 15 years we have lived here and this is the first time we've been told this."
GBC stated that "more emphasis is being placed on the risk of external fire spread" in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy of 2017. However, Mr Reely retorted: "How long ago was Grenfell? What's the point in having a balcony if you can't even use it?"
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Another neighbour voiced his frustration after being informed that he must remove his son's water and sand pits from the balcony, a space where he prefers his child to play rather than at the local park frequented by drinkers. Some residents have reportedly been sent a council letter, which labels items like "screening around metal fencing, belongings made of wood, plastic, textiles and any other materials" as a "fire risk" and directs tenants to "please remove them immediately."
An elderly couple is challenging the fairness of the situation, pondering whether those with plastic furniture on the ground level outside the block will be permitted to retain their possessions. The woman expressed her discontent, saying: "We find it unfair," while her husband is concerned about having to part with his plants, saying: "I won't be happy if I have to remove my plants."
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"It seems a bit naff to me. Where are people going to dry their washing? There's no point in having a balcony - you might as well just shut it off. What's the harm in a few chairs and a washing line?"
Mother-of-one Lidia Barc revealed she was unaware of the new regulations until neighbours mentioned them, despite not receiving any correspondence from the council. The 56 year old expressed her desire to enjoy the summer with some chairs on her balcony, insisting: "It's summer, so I would like to have some chairs to take in the sun," the 56-year-old said. "I have nothing dangerous on my balcony, no fuel or anything. I don't understand why you can't have a few plants."
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Another resident, Karen Noakes, expressed her frustration over new rules that may prevent her from drying her washing on her balcony, where her grandchildren often play. The 57 year old grandmother is so aggrieved by the changes that she's contemplating launching a petition against them.
"All I've got on my balcony is a kid's bike and scooter and two washing lines," the grandmother-of-four said. What's the problem with that? They're not a fire hazard. If the council are going to pay for me to use my dryer, then by all means. But why should I use it when it's nice in the summer? I've been here nine years and have never had this sort of trouble."
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According to the updates made to the Fire Safety Act 2021, assessments are now required to cover balconies and the outer walls of buildings, and the local authority is obligated to address any concerns that come up. The Act clarifies that where a building contains two or more sets of domestic premises, the Fire Safety Order applies to: the building's structure and external walls (including windows, balconies, cladding, insulation and fixings) and any common parts.
What does Gravesham Borough Council say?
A spokesperson for GBC said: "Our first and major responsibility to our tenants is to ensure they live in safe homes. Our tenants and leaseholders have recently been contacted by us regarding fire safety issues, particularly around balconies.
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"This coincided with Building Safety Week, during which we were giving advice to residents on fire and general building safety. Under updates to the Fire Safety Act 2021, fire risk assessments must now include balconies and the external walls of buildings.
"Following recent fire risk assessments carried out by independent accredited fire risk assessors, we are obliged to resolve any issues raised in relation to fire safety. During fire risk assessments carried out at Shepherd Street, our assessors found numerous balconies with combustible screening fitted, which could allow flames to spread vertically up the building and advised the screening should be removed.
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"Since the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, much more emphasis is being placed on the risk of external fire spread. This is because a fire on the outside of the building has an unlimited supply of oxygen and can be spread upwards by air currents created by the heat, sideways by wind or downwards by burning material falling onto balconies below.
"The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) strongly advises against using barbecues, fire pits, patio heaters, or chimineas on balconies, and recommends keeping balconies free from clutter, combustible materials, and flammable items. We have recently updated our building safety advice for tenants, which includes advice on balcony fire safety and a comprehensive but not exhaustive list of items that have the potential to cause or help the spread of fire, and which are therefore not permitted on balconies.
"In May, there was a major fire in a housing association property in Gravesham, caused by someone smoking on their balcony and not extinguishing a cigarette properly. Despite seven fire appliances attending the scene, the damage was so extensive that 12 families had to be re-housed.
"We do not want our tenants to go through a similar, devastating experience and our requests to them to keep their balconies clear of flammable material and clutter is solely to minimise the risk of that happening."