Two to be sentenced over tower block failures

LATITUDE 52 WAS SUBJECT TO AN 'EMERGENCY ORDER'

- By CARL EVE

TWO men are set to be sentenced in the New Year over issues uncovered at a large apartment block in Devonport, which was subject of a rare 'emergency order' in 2021.

The Latitude 52 block in Albert Road was the focus of attention by Plymouth City Council and the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service in May 2021, after an assessment of the property was carried out.

At the time, as a precaution, a number of residents were temporarily moved out of the building after the council issued an emergency prohibition notice.

The council later confirmed they were working with the fire service as further inquiries were carried out.

Following a number of hearings which have been taking place since October 2024, a trial was listed to take place at Plymouth Crown Court on November 11 this year.

However, earlier this week two men and the management company which ran the apartment block offered guilty pleas to a number of charges at Plymouth Crown Court.

The court heard Latitude 52 Management Company Ltd plead guilty to one count of failing to make appropriate fire safety arrangements between April 17, 2008 and June 2, 2016.

The particulars of the offence notes that the firm "failed to make and/or give effect to such fire safety arrangements as were appropriate, having regard to the size and nature of its activities; for the effective, planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review of preventative and protective measures."

It added that "such failure having placed one or more relevant persons at risk of death or serious injury in case of fire."