A WARNING has been issued that some property owners in the borough have not complied with government requests in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy - and there is very little the local authority can do about it.

Councillor Tristan Robinson, chairman of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s (BDBC) Economic Planning and Housing Committee, is making a call for more powers to be given to councils to compel building owners and private landlords to comply with government requests.

In the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, the government wrote to both private and public sector residential landlords, advising them to test cladding material in buildings over 18m in height.

However, while BDBC has worked with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service to undertake joint inspections as part of the government request, cllr Robinson has said not all building owners have fully complied with the request.

Cllr Robinson will present a motion at a full council meeting on Thursday, July 27 calling for more powers to be given to councils over fears local authorities cannot force building owners to comply.

The motion reads: “That the leader of the council writes to the secretary of state for communities and local government to express our concerns about the inability of councils to ensure the protection of residents and ask Her Majesty’s government to introduce legislation that transfers these powers to councils across the country.

“Council believes that such a change in legislation would enable us to better protect our residents and further help prevent such an event occurring in our borough.”

The motion outlines that authorities such as BDBC need direct powers to inspect buildings or compel providers and private landlords to comply with Department of Communities and Local Government requests.

Speaking to The Gazette, Cllr Robinson said: “We know that there are properties which haven’t complied fully.

“Our officers have done a huge amount of work with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, getting around properties and so on but there are some providers who, with the best will in the world, are not doing the best job in the world and we haven’t got the authority to get them to do things and so be able to reassure our residents.”

The full council meeting will be held from 6.30pm on Thursday, July 27, in the council chamber at the Civic Offices, in London Road.