1 in 10 Mancunian parents have issues with their children's school safety
Concerns are raised as a quarter of Manchester residents state they are dissatisfied with the government's efforts to improve safety in the area
A new national survey has revealed one in ten parents in Manchester have experienced issues regarding the building safety and integrity of their child's schools.
The findings revealed 58% of Mancunians are concerned about the safety and maintenance of schools in their local area and 42% are concerned about the safety of universities in the area.
The 2024 Building Safety Report, conducted by SFG20, the industry standard for building maintenance, surveyed 1,500 people across 15 UK cities to highlight their perceptions of the safety and maintenance of local buildings in their area.
The report comes after the UK government has faced increased scrutiny following incidents such as the Grenfell Tower Fire incident. 3 in 5 survey respondents shared that they are now more concerned about building safety in Manchester following the incident, with 29% stating their worries have ‘significantly increased’.
The findings revealed Manchester is one of the top UK regions most concerned about the safety and maintenance of local buildings, such as schools and hospitals, with over half (58%) of Manchester residents expressing concern.
Concerns were also raised over the government's efforts to maintain and improve public buildings in Manchester, with a quarter (25%) saying they felt dissatisfied with the government's efforts and 30% distrusting that public buildings in Manchester are safe in accordance with current building safety standards.
Jason Instrell, Industry Lead at SFG20, shared his thoughts on the survey’s findings:
“It is concerning to see the proportion of the British public concerned with the safety of buildings. Over the last decade, the UK has seen a string of events that have placed the maintenance of local infrastructure under a particularly intense spotlight, in particular the Grenfell Tower fire incident. The introduction of the Building Safety Act in 2022 saw stricter rules on the safety of buildings and it remains the UK government's responsibility to ensure the public feels safe and educated about the maintenance of these buildings.”