The arrival of 300 migrant workers at an industrial estate on Atoomweg in Roosendaal has been a headache for more than five years. At the beginning of this year, there seemed to be clarity when the Council of State agreed to housing these migrant workers in decorated iron units. The joy for home rental company and migrant employment agency ICE Agency was short-lived.
A month after the Council of State gave the green light, the fire brigade rejected the complex. The wooden cover plates do not partly meet the current fire safety requirements according to the fire brigade.
Completely unexpected
That was a major setback for Sophia Vreugdenhil, who started the ICE Agency employment agency for migrant workers in 2007 and provided accommodation in Roosendaal.
“In an initial check by the fire brigade, everything seemed to be in order,” says Sophia. “The fact that the fire brigade rejected the building during the last inspection was completely unexpected. The residential units had previously been located in The Hague without any problems. It came as a bolt from the blue that it would be a problem here.”
Facade fire
The problem is on the outside of the complex. This is covered with Trespa plates. “Those panels fall into fire class D,” says Ivo de Hoogen of Fire Consultants BV in Tilburg. His company has mapped out the fire safety of the complex for Sophia’s employment agency. “The units comply with all regulations, but the outer panels must largely fall into class B.”
The Tilburg fire safety expert also knows how these same units were used in The Hague without any problems. “They were already there in 2012. After the disastrous facade fire in 2017 Grenfell Tower in London rules have been interpreted more strictly and supervision has been tightened.”
Deadline
The delay in housing for 300 migrant workers is a problem for many parties. “I have already canceled contracts with other landlords,” says Sophia. “I will have the facade panels replaced, but I am disappointed with all the delays that will occur again.” By the way, 190 of them will live in the complex in question. For the others, there will be a building yet to be built on the same site.
The municipality of Roosendaal allows people to live in the residential complex until June 15, but this is only allowed on the ground floor and first floor. In addition, someone must monitor the building for fire 24 hours a day.
Difficult for more parties
It is also difficult for the municipality because it would rather not see houses full of migrants in residential areas or on campsites. Agricultural companies and companies such as bol.com are also experiencing problems because they have difficulty finding staff if they cannot live in the area.
Fire expert Ivo believes that if replacement of the cover plates starts now, the deadline of June 15 will be met and the 300 migrant workers can move into the complex.
Solution
The fire brigade expert has a faster and cheaper solution. “You can also remove all the plates and leave it at that. Then you are left with a steel construction. That is fire class A. It’s just not that attractive. I know Sophia doesn’t want that, but I think it will also make the local residents unhappy.”
“I think,” the expert continues, “that neighbors do not realize that if the complex remains empty, it is an ideal place for the COA to receive asylum seekers. I suspect that local residents are not interested in that either.”
