In March, five major events – including the 2,000-person capacity dance-music festival BLKOUT – had to be cancelled or relocated after safety consultants raised concerns about the building’s fire exits and faulty lighting, as well as highlighting a number of other points.
The government announced last week that it expected a demolition project – to knock down the cable-car station, pool building and footbridge – to be completed under budget.
As a result, Treasury Minister Susie Pinel re-allocated £500,000 dedicated to the projects to making safety improvements at the Fort.
At the time, the government said that the money would be used to fund a new fire detection and alarm system, improve emergency signage, upgrade emergency lighting and complete maintenance works on the showers and changing rooms.
However, it has also now emerged that £70,000 from the £500,000 will be used to fund the use of fire marshals, who had to be put in place at short notice to keep the facility running.
A government spokeswoman said that there would be no requirement for fire marshals at the Fort after the current safety improvements have been completed.
‘The cost of fire marshals since their introduction in March is £70,000. Work to upgrade fire detection and alarms system, which is expected to be completed in September, will remove the requirement for them,’ she said.
‘The cost of the works, and the fire marshals, is included in the £500,000 recently announced.’
