Fire safety concerns raised over plans for electric bus fleets

Fire safety concerns have been raised over plans to build several high-rise blocks in north London that could eventually house 190 electric buses in the basement.

Proposals for the Broadwalks shopping center and surrounding area in Edgware include the construction of more than 3,300 homes and the relocation of the existing Transport for London (TfL) bus station.

Concerns raised by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) include risks to the structural integrity of the building if a fire breaks out in the warehouse, prompting a community group to call the scheme a “ticking time bomb”.

Developer Ballymore has said electric vehicles will not be allowed “until” the project has been approved by all relevant authorities.

According to the plans, multi-storey buildings with a height of up to 29 floors, a hotel, a supermarket, a cinema and other shops will be built here, as well as the Dean’s Brook nature reserve will be landscaped.

Ballymore said TfL’s current bus garage would be relocated and a new basement garage below several blocks would initially be designed to accommodate regular buses, with the intention of converting it to accommodate electric vehicles, subject to approval at a later date.

Since Ballymore submitted its outline planning application in July, almost 2,000 public objections have been lodged.

In a letter to Barnet Council, LFB raised questions about the potential for “structural collapse of tenement buildings” above the garage in the event of a fire and said the current application should be considered as a whole.

It said: “The structural integrity of the many units above the bus garage is inextricably dependent on the structural integrity of the bus garage below.

“The potential for so many electric buses creates risks that are not fully understood by the industry at the moment.”

It comes after a number of fires involving electric buses in London caused some bus fleets to be recalled for safety checks.

The letter stated that some of the planned facilities were not enough, such as having only one elevator for firefighters. The report also said that the access road, which can support a load of up to 12.5 tons, is not suitable for fire truck traffic.

The LFB explained to the council that adequate measures had not been taken to contain the fire or mitigate further risks, such as “an incident involving an electric vehicle emitting toxic vapor and the subsequent potential for a cloud of vapor to explode if that cloud were contained.”

The crew questioned whether smoke removal and “draining of toxic water” were considered when fighting the EV bus fire, and asked whether adequate access would be provided to “safely remove any EV vehicle that was involved in the fire and may still pose a hazard.” . risk of re-ignition.”

The use of fire shutters instead of traditional fire walls was also an issue, with LFB stating that they would not provide the same protection as they required additional maintenance and testing.

An LFB spokesman said: “Although we are not the official adviser on such planning applications, we will always seek to provide a response to fire strategy in high-rise buildings, particularly where it also involves emerging fire hazards such as electric vehicles .

“While it is expected that further detailed plans will be submitted over time, we have highlighted safety concerns in our response and strongly recommend that a development of this scale be supported by a comprehensive site-wide fire strategy report.”

Anuta Zack, from Save Our Edgware, described the scheme as “a ticking time bomb that we refuse to live with.”

“The LFB assessment clearly shows that an underground garage for electric buses poses an unimaginable risk of collapse and toxic fire,” she said, adding that Barnet Council should refuse the application.

Ballymore said on its website that it plans to complete the first phase of the project by 2031, including the bus station and garage, with an expected completion date of 2036 for the entire scheme.

A project spokesman said Ballymore welcomed the LFB’s response “as an important part of the ongoing consultation process on the project” and remained “in ongoing dialogue” with the team.

The move to electric vehicles has become a “vital part of delivering electric buses across the capital”, the spokesman said.

But they added: “The garage will not be operational until 2030 at the earliest and we remain clear that electric vehicles will not be allowed until the project is approved by London Fire Brigade, Barnet Council and the Health and Safety Executive.” . and construction control.”