London authority seeks £6m fire safety works refund for building that burned down

Leaseholders criticise plan to reclaim funds spent on destroyed Spectrum Building in Dagenham

People who lost their homes when a tower block in Dagenham burned down say they are being made to pay for the building’s fire safety works after the government demanded its money back.

Former leaseholders of the Spectrum Building, a seven-storey block of flats which was demolished after a major fire in August 2024, said it was “absolutely outrageous” the Greater London Authority (GLA) was seeking to reclaim £6m for the safety works because the blaze meant they were never completed.