A residential tower block in Kirkby, Merseyside, is on the brink of evacuation as safety fears escalate. Willow Rise and neighbouring Beech Rise are facing an imminent prohibition notice from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, which could force 160 households to vacate immediately due to unsafe living conditions.
Upon entering Willow Rise, the signs of neglect are impossible to ignore—water damage, rotting wood, exposed wiring, and broken lifts define daily life for residents. Emergency access is hampered by inoperative elevators, with exposed service panels and structural decay throughout the building.
A video filmed by a resident shows water leaking directly onto fuse boxes marked “Danger, 415 volts.” Despite years of enforcement notices from fire authorities, no substantial repairs have been made.
Vulnerable Residents Trapped in Dangerous Flats
Among the residents is Chris Penfold-Ivany, a cancer patient who must climb 13 flights of stairs to reach his home. “It’s a catastrophic scandal that we have been left like this,” he says. His medical condition has worsened due to the building’s disrepair, and he fears the building could face a fate similar to the Grenfell tragedy.
Arunee Leerasiri, another resident, broke down in tears as she described being forced to sleep on the floor with her elderly mother, unable to use the lifts. She invested her life savings in the property just three years ago. “Nobody can live like this,” she said, showing video evidence of the water-damaged electrical systems in the building.
Council Intervention and Waking Watch Costs
Merseyside Fire and Rescue is now demanding a 24-hour “waking watch” patrol to monitor fire safety risks—funded temporarily by Knowsley Council at a rate of £3,000 per day. The council has admitted this cost is unsustainable, and with unclear building ownership, they are struggling to hold anyone accountable for repairs.
Lack of Ownership Accountability and Plea to Government
With a fragmented management structure and layers of hidden ownership, it remains unclear who bears legal responsibility for the building’s dangerous state. Knowsley Council is now in discussions with central government to secure emergency support, as millions of pounds in repairs are needed to keep the towers habitable.
Meanwhile, residents are in limbo—fearful of the next phone call that may tell them to evacuate, and uncertain if they’ll even have a place to go.
