Anger as expert who wrote pre-Grenfell fire safety guidance handed £210,000 contract to update it

Home Office hires fire safety expert who advised it was ‘unrealistic’ for landlords to draw up plans to evacuate disabled people from burning buildings

Colin Todd has been hired to rewrite heavily criticised 2011 fire safety guidance for councils (PA Archive)

The government has handed a £210,000 consultancy contract to write post-Grenfell safety guidance to the same company that wrote heavily criticised advice in place at the time of the deadly blaze.

Fire engineer Colin Todd authored influential advice for councils in 2011 which stated that it was "usually unrealistic" to expect landlords and building owners to draw up plans for evacuating disabled people from burning buildings.

The advice remained widely followed by local authorities until last year. It emerged this week that the Home Office had contracted Mr Todd's company CS Todd & Associates to rewrite the guidance.

Disability campaigners said they were "shocked and horrified" by the appointment. The 2011 document has been heavily criticised by campaigners and legal experts who say it discriminated against people with disabilities by failing to offer them the same level of protection from fire as residents without disabilities.

The guide said it was “usually unrealistic to expect landlords… to have in place special arrangements” such as evacuation plans for those with disabilities.

It is believed that 41 per cent of people who died in Grenfell Tower had a disability that hindered their ability to escape.

Sarah Rennie, of campaign group Claddag, said the government's decision to allow Mr Todd to rewrite flawed guidance “legitimised discrimination” against people with disabilities, and was "wholly offensive".

"For us as disabled people, we are fighting our landlords, managing agents, even the fire service, every day to get evacuation plans in place,” she said.

"We are fighting the legacy of Mr Todd's very influential and dangerous guidance every day.

"The fact that this contract has been given to him is such an endorsement of that view and it's wholly offensive."

The government has committed to implementing all of the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, including the need for building owners to have evacuation plans for disabled residents.

However, when questioned by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry in July, Mr Todd defended his advice that people with disabilities should remain in their flats and wait to be rescued.

He said that “the understanding at the time” of the fire was that people with disabilities would have to rely on the fire and rescue service to ensure their safety, not building owners.

Fire evacuation expert Elspeth Grant disagreed. Ms Grant wrote to the Local Government Association shortly after the publication of Mr Todd’s 2011 guidance, arguing that it was discriminatory and breached the human rights of people with disabilities.

She said Mr Todd would have to perform a “complete u-turn” on his previous position if his new advice is to comply with the government’s commitment to following the inquiry’s recommendations.

“His views cut right across what has been advised by the inquiry,” Ms Grant said.

The 2011 document also advised against installing communal fire alarms in residential buildings unless "some control can be achieved over the occupants to ensure that they respond appropriately".

Since Grenfell, the government has set up a fund to cover the costs of installing fire alarms in residential blocks.

Fire safety expert Stephen Mackenzie said Colin Todd was a “well known and regarded” expert in the field.

He added: “However, given his historic links to previous guidance, which potentially contributed to aspects of the building safety crisis, he should not be contributing to recommendations given by the Grenfell Inquiry & rewarded for producing new guidance for government.

“The fire sector and government has been unsuccessful in restoring public confidence in fire safety. It should not be open to any possible interpretation that anyone is marking their own homework.”

Fire minister Stephen Greenhalgh said this week that he would look into the contract award. However, in a later statement he said: “CS Todd & Associates has significant technical experience in complex fire safety matters and is appointed to provide guidance relating to fire safety.

“The company was the successful applicant for the contract after an open and fair procurement process. There is strong governance in place, which is kept under regular review, to oversee the direction and detail of the guidance before it’s published.”

CS Todd and Associates did not respond to requests for comment.