Owners of Centenary Plaza fined over safety

CITY COUNCIL ISSUES £50,000 FINE TO COMPANY OVER FIRE MEASURES

- JANE HAYNES Politics & People Editor

Centenary Plaza in Birmingham city centre

THE owners of the landmark 19-storey Centenary Plaza apartments in Birmingham city centre have been hit with a £50,000 fine for failing to carry out critical fire safety measures to protect hundreds of residents.

The prosecution was brought by a new team of specialist Birmingham City Council officials, set up and funded with a government grant in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Their remit is to ensure that the right fire precautions are in place in high-rises across the city.

Centenary Plaza, in Holliday Street, is owned by Freehold Managers (Nominees) Ltd, located in Bishop-sgate, London.

The owners were served an improvement notice over a year ago ordering it to undertake fire safety improvement works to the building but it failed to act, Birmingham magistrates were told.